Outfit of the Day: Formally Casual

I know formally casual sounds absolutely contradictory!! It's just my term for semi-formal. The blue floral dress that I am wearing here is perfect for a Thursday/ Friday wear at work and also for a casual Saturday evening! Here's what I am wearing.

Dress: Van Heusen Women

Price: Rs 1800 Approx

I love blue and love flowery prints in blue even more! And this sleeveless dress in floral prints in blue is one of my favorites! It's vibrant yet semi-formal and super comfortable! Very nice for summers!

Accessories: Trendy Baubles

Price: Hoops - Rs 100 approx, Neckpiece - Rs 299

 I paired this already vibrant dress with some light accessories, a long neck piece in blue and silver and my all time favorites, the giant hoops, both from Trendy Baubles. It's actually becoming one of my favorite accessories hub! They have accessories which are trendy as well as affordable!

Footwear: Flats from Mumbai Street Shopping

Price: Rs 150 :)

As you may already know, I am a bit of color coordinator freak, I completed my look with blue sandals and blue eye-make up. Had picked up these sandals from Fashion street, Mumbai in February this year. Surprisingly, they're still in good shape :). Only problem, they skid a lot on plain surfaces. But I can live with that..

That's it for today, hope you're having a great weekend.. I am having a relaxed one after a while!!

Clinique Different Lipstick 'Shy', Shy to Stay for Too Long: Swatches, Review

The Different Lipstick range from Clinique is 'Different because of its smooth, comfortable feel. Moderate coverage in a remarkable range of shades, from cream to pearl. Every one packed with rich emollients.' I picked up a very pretty pink shade called 'Shy'.
Here are more details along with my review and a swatch.

 

Product Details
Range: Clinique Different Lipstick
Price: Rs 1025 in India/ $14.5 in the US
Shade: Shy (A 10)
Pigmentation: Sheer to Moderate
Coverage: Moderate
Finish: Soft Shine
Other Shades Available: Lots of Wearable Colors (Shown here)

What I like about Shy

• Very pretty and wearable color. I love this pink!
• Gives a nice, smooth, soft and shiny finish
• Good coverage with a couple of strokes. Kind of sheer with just one stroke.
• Quite moisturizing, makes the lips soft
• This is about the range in general. There are lots of wearable colors to choose from.

What I don't quite like about Shy

• It's such a pretty color but why is it shy to stay for long :(. This range is not really a long lasting one like the High Impact range.

Recommendation

I have always heard good things about Clinique products. Their long-lasting lipstick is something that people swear by. I like this range for the variety of pretty shades it offers. So if you are not so particular about very strong pigmentation and lasting power, you would love this! I have used the Go Fig from the High Impact range and I kind of prefer that except for the fact that I simply love this pretty pink color!

My Summer Special Short Hair Cut

All I wanted was a 2 inches trim. But the hair-dresser suggested me to go for something shorter because it would really suit me! I gave into temptation, I mean I had boy-cut during my entire school years and my hair has never grown beyond my shoulder. Every-time I decide I will really grow it long, I think I have a bug in my head that triggers right after my hair reaches my shoulder. So short hair was not something I was new to.

I was excited about the cut! But what I got was okay from the front but a funny and fluffy kid's mushroom cut from the back! I mean it's a nice thing to look younger, but when you're young, you definitely don't want to look like a kid!

I had taken these pictures right before my cut only to see what my hair exactly looks like from the back (read macaroni), and based on that I would decide how many inches to trim! Never thought they would actually appear in my post!

Before

 

After

Initially I was so conscious that I refused to go out. Eventually, I went out in a mini-pony tail. But now it's growing on me.

I told my sister about it on the phone! She tried to console me with her tremendously good argumentative skills. She said, 'Think about the good thing, it will make you look younger and is perfect for summers. And after all, it's just hair and will grow back soon!!' I guess I am getting used to my new look!

Tell me what you think!

What's in a Name!

Today I'm in a mood to just write and not review.. The last couple of weeks have been hectic with big bosses visiting from the US, guests at home and so on. I have been away from the blogger for a really long time (not that many actually miss it :))! And then I sat with my laptop, staring at my blog screen, desperate to write but lazy to edit pictures or do a product analysis. Then I thought of writing about some interesting experiences.

So what's in name? I guess quite a lot. When you haven't really met a person and you just know the name, you automatically tend to create an image in your mind. Like a 'Shalini' would be homely, and a 'Jia' would be hot! Imagine someone with a name 'Raka'..Absolutely no offence intended here to anyone who actually has that name but you would probably expect a tall, well-built man (remember chacha chaudhary comics), and then if you discover it's a woman, you'll get the shock of your life!

And when someone knows your name and still screws it up, it's rather infuriating -  like a horribly wrong pronunciation or a spelling error. Imagine reading 'Obama Killed' in stead of 'Osama Killed', 'Nick Carter' called 'Nick Farter' (Just one letter differences). Also, there was this famous racing horse called 'Hoof Hearted', and you can imagine what the name sounded like while the horse approached the finishing line and the commentators screamed his name with real excitement and speed!

Now let's talk about my own experiences. By now most of you would know, I am Debleena (The 'D' is pronounces as 'The'). Do you think the name is that tough! I don't, but many do. While I was in school, I remember everytime a new teacher would come, I would have to repeat my name and sometimes even the spelling numerous times. Nevertheless the time I was in Kolkata/ Bihar, life was better. They would all be able to  more or less pronounce it correctly, with minor edits like 'Debolina' or 'Devleena'.

But somehow Delhites found it very tough. I moved to my first PG, and they said it was too complicated and they would call me 'Leena'. I had to say okay to it although at times I felt it was not me! Again at the restaurants when I put in my name for a reservation, they would write all kinds of spellings like, Delena, Beleena, Reena, Meena and so on!

Then came office..it actually wasn't that bad except that some of my American friends would pronounce the 'D' as 'D' and not 'The'. But it was perfectly fine. Some would sometime refer to me as 'Dableena'. And then came a funny moment, a guy who had newly joined the team, came and called me 'Debbie'.. It was a bit shocking to start with (I just got another new name and that too from a person who just joined) but the name somewhat picked up. He later claimed that someone had told him my name was actually Debbie!!

 But the incident that beats all is this..I had ordered pizza over phone for my entire team. The guy probably like my voice and he sent a small gift along with the pizza. The gift was a digital clock that stopped working after 2 days. But it had come with a note saying 'For Babelina'. It was actually hilarious!! The whole team couldn't stop laughing. Thank god my real name is not Babelina!

That was about me. Tell me about your funny/ disastrous experiences with your names.

Monkey Madness, My First Hand Experience!

It was 8 am I was fast asleep, lost in my dream world where I was probably making headlines with my blog :) Suddenly I felt the housemaid screaming something near me. I had no idea what she was talking about. I simply rushed to the drawing and guess who was there to say good morning! A monkey in my balcony trying to drink packaged juice kept in my fridge as far as I could last remember!!

I was in a state of shock. But how he got hold of that carton was far more shocking. My maid took out something from the fridge and headed towards the kitchen. In the meantime she heard the fridge open. She turned back and it was the monkey taking out the carton from the fridge himself!! And then he walked straight to the balcony. Can you beat this!

I am not really unfamiliar with monkeys. During my childhood when I spent many years in a small town of Bihar, monkeys often used to visit us in herds to enjoy the fruits and vegetables that my mother grew in our garden with a lot of passion and dedication. The maali (gardener) would fire rockets and they would go. But I guess the Delhi monkeys are far more urbanized and aggressive! They come inside your house and take out stuff from your fridge!

Anyway, despite the familiarity neither my maid nor me had the guts to actually go towards him. He even showed me his teeth. Finally the savior arrived, my husband! He simply shut the balcony door. And the photographer in me could not let this go without trapping it in some memorable snaps! I tried taking some shots from inside the house through the glass window, they weren't too clear, but I still clicked him while he was busy drinking the juice that he had spilled on the floor.

Enjoying Juice for Breakfast!

Thinking: Where to get the item from!

Off to the Next House!

My Litchi Twirl :(

What do you think :) Crazy, isn't it!

Davidoff Champion, Fragrance for Men: A True Champion!

What do you see in the picture? Did you say, "weights, dumbbell, workout?" Well no, it's a Davidoff Champion EDT bottle you're looking at.

Let me be a little honest here. There are some perfumes that I can't bear, but for the rest which are all bearable, it sometimes becomes a tough job to rate which one's more bearable than the other. I mean we all have our favorites but among the other nice ones, all seem equally nice to me when it comes to fragrances. And then, the look, the package makes a difference. This one certainly scores in both the look and the fragrance.

So if your man is someone who believes in working out and staying in shape, he is going to love it. And if he is the lazy one, it is a great way to inspire him to pick up some real dumbbells! So all men will love this! Read on to know more about the product and my review of the new Davidoff Champion fragrance.

About Davidoff Champion 
The fragrance Champion was launched last year. It intends to inspire men with its composition to gain power and new victories.

"Davidoff Champion is about the daily ritual of taking the time to build physical and mental strength. It puts verve into your step and triggers in you a desire to develop the latent potential within you to become a champion. Your fundamental instinct for victory and power – pushing forward boundaries, overcoming challenges."

About the Design (Designer: Alnoor)

I love the design! It is a a chunky dumbbell with stirring black-glass and head and tail have silver weights, makes it look very real!
Made of real metal with the contents boldly engraved on the cap, the bevelled-grip body gives a rough, masculine touch.
The sporty design makes it very attractive and intends to excite a will to win, a sense of resolution and iron-cast determination.

About the Fragrance

I have to say it has some complex ingredients. But I have tried to make it sound simple with wiki's help. This is the description from the Davidoff websites with my notes!

• "Immediate refreshing impact of lemon and bergamot (a citrus fruit like lemon) create an invigorating start.
• The heart note then gains ground with its energizing galbanum (an aromatic gum resin) essence and aromatic clary sage (an essential oil herb). 
• Davidoff Champion is completed in its dry down by the masculine classic cedarwood all the while keeping a durable oak moss allure."

About the Range
The fragrance is available as 50 ml EDT, 90 ml EDT, 90 ml After Shave Splash, 100ml After Shave Balm, 200ml Hair and Body Shampoo and 70 grams deodorant stick.

Price and Availability: (EDT)
I could mostly find the 90ml bottle.
In US it is available for $ 97-$105 online. I also saw 50ml for $ 60 on a couple of sites.
In India, it is available for Rs 4800 in major retails like Shopper's Stop, Lifestyle etc.
It's a bit expensive and I am still hunting for the 50ml bottle.

What I like about Davidoff Champion

• I love love love the design! It's innovative, it's inspiring and it's sporty and masculine!
• Of course I love the fragrance too! It's very very refreshing.
• It fades gradually fades but the freshness lingers for a long long time.

What I don't quite like about Davidoff Champion
90ml is a bit expensive, and 50ml is not available easily!

Recommendation
I think it makes a great gift! As I said earlier, your man will like it if he is a gym lover, and in case he isn't one, it would still inspire him! I think it's a hit with everyone and the design is great! Like me if you also think that $ 100 is a little too much, the 50ml EDT bottle is the perfect choice! Otherwise you could get him the after-shave!

Goodies from Clinique

'Gifts with Purchase' is a phrase that everyone loves! Sadly, though the Indian consumer does not get to experience this as much as those in the US/ UK. And in case you thought I was telling you about an ongoing GWP scheme, then I will unfortunately disappoint you.

This was during my trip to NYC last year. Yes, it's kind of stale news but one I wasn't a blogger back then, two till date I feel very excited about this offer, so just felt like sharing!! Waiting for such initiatives from the bigger brands on a bigger scale here..

The Scheme: It was very simple, just buy Clinique products (anything) worth $ 30 and you get these goodies!
The Goodies: 5 sample size Clinique products along with a Clinique hair-brush, all packed in a cute Cosmetics bag.

Clinique Rinse-Off Make up Solvent (2 Oz.)

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion  (1 Oz.)

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief ( (0.5 Oz.)

Clinique High Impact Mascara  (0.14 Oz.)

Clinique Lip Color & Gloss Duo

Clinique Hair Brush

Cosmetics Bag

I was absolutely thrilled about the offer and picked up 2 lipsticks and collected my goodies bag. I will briefly talk about each of these products. In case you're interested in a detailed review, do let me know..I will be glad to do that! Here's what I bought.

Clinique High Impact Lipstick 'Go Fig', reviewed here.

Clinque Different Lipstick 'Shy', to be reviewed soon.

Let's start with the hair brush and the cosmetics bag. There's actually nothing to review here. All I can say is that this brush-cum-mirror has become one of my can't-do-without belongings..I carry it everywhere. And the cosmetics bag is the perfect size for travel!

GWP samples are the best way to test a product on you before you pay a hefty price and then realize it does not even suit you! It works for the company as well when they want to popularize a new product!



Brief Review: Clinique Rinse-Off Eye Make up Solvent
I will do a detailed review sometime. This was a great product for me since I do a little bit of eye makeup everyday (read eye-liners).
I love the fact that it is oil-free. So no stickiness, no eye irritation either.
It does a good job, but it's very expensive (Rs 1025 for 125ml) for a make-up remover if you actually want to buy one! Glad that I got it as a GWP!
Plus it is not able to remove the color of my stubborn lakme eye pencil!
Will I buy it: No because of the cost!
















Brief Review: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
It absorbs very well into the skin and is not heavy.
It does make the skin soft.
Has a very very mild but slightly synthetic smell.
Will I buy it: I am not the kind to spend a fortune on lotions really, so not unless it's inexpensive.






Brief Review: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
This claims to keep the skin moisturised for 12 hours! I liked it for the fact that it was very very light and was still able to keep the skin hydrated. You just wouldn't feel you put anything on your face.
Will I buy it: May be yes...







Brief Review: Clinique High Impact Mascara
I love this one, haven't found out the price, but it does have a good impact. Will show some demo also someday.
Will I buy it: May be yes...




Brief Review: Clinique Lip Color & Gloss Duo





Now, I have not actually used this and planning to give it away when I have 200 followers! But I have used Clinique lipstick and it is by far the best I have liked!
The duo consists of

• Long Last gloss wear SPF 15 (Fireberry)
• Different Lipstick (Raspberry Glace)

From what I can tell from the swatches, it's a very very pretty color and the gloss is a bit sticky which gives me an asurance that it will stay for quite sometime. The SPF 15 is an added advantage. Though, the different lipstick does not stay on for very long, I think the combination of fireberry and raspberry will be quite firy and stay on reasonably long!
Will I buy it: Yes, I will never say no to Clinique lip products...

Here are the technical details, not very legible though.

Have you got such a nicely packaged GWP yet? How was the exerience?