I don't like caking on the foundation and concealer on vacation. Who wants to bother with makeup when you can relax and unwind?

To keep my skin protected, I apply a generous layer of Lotus Herbals 3 in 1 Matte Sunblock. It is matte, tinted (so it evens out my skin ever so slightly) and has both UVA and UVB protection with SPF 40. Next up, I dot some of the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer under my eyes and on blemishes and blend it out by patting it with my finger.


To bronze up my skin, I use the NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium and brush it on with a fluffy brush, like the Real Techniques Blush Brush.



For eyes, I simply curl my lashes with my faithful Inglot eyelash curlers and apply two coats of the Maybelline Push Up Falsies Mascara.



Lips are sorted out with a layer of Lakme's Weightless Lip and Cheek Mousse (Blush Velvet is my go-to color).

And there you have it! My holiday beauty essentials that help me look put together, without taking too much of an effort! 

Loreal Mat Magique foundation has quickly become an everyday favorite base for me.

It claims to offer a 'matte without the flat' finish, and I totally agree with this.


I use the shade G3 of this foundation, which is a shade that contains yellow undertones, suitable for fair/medium complexions.

Housed in a hot pink squeeze tube, this foundation has a creamy texture. It blends seamlessly into the skin, either with fingers or brush or sponge. My favorite method of applying this foundation is with a damp Beauty Blender.

It gives me a medium coverage, which can be built up in areas where you need it.
This foundation makes my skin look fresh for about 5-6 hours, before the oils start to seep through around my nose area.

The foundation has a lovely satin matte finish: not totally matte, it has a slight bit of glow to it. But it definitely doesn't look dewy.

It lasts quite well on my skin, lasting 8-9 hours. That's the maximum time period for which I've worn this foundation.

This foundation contains an SPF of 11, which will be alright for winters, but for summer, you'll definitely need a sunscreen underneath.

I'll highly recommend this foundation to oily/combination skinned beauties. If you have dry skin, please moisturize THOROUGHLY before using this foundation, as it accentuates dry patches, being a matte foundation.

I will definitely repurchase this foundation. Its become a good, budget friendly base option for me. 

Being more consistent with my morning skincare routine has made such a huge difference to my skin.

Earlier, before getting into beauty, I just used to wash my face with whatever foamting face wash I had on hand. And that was it! No moisturizer, no sunscreen.
I shudder when I think about it now.

My morning skincare routine is very simple and doesn't change, I only switch up my evening routine.

Skincare in the morning should be light, refreshing and quick.



My routine is as follows:

Cleanse with Cetaphil, massaged onto dry skin and removed with warm wet washcloth.

Tone with a spritz of La Roche Posay Serozinc (my new favorite toner). Detailed review coming soon!

Eye cream: Cetaphil Daily Advanced Ultra Hydrating Lotion.

Moisturize with a small amount (three pea sized dabs) of Clean & Clear Oil Free Moisturizer.

Protect skin with Lotus Herbals Matte Gel Sunscreen (SPF 50, PA ++). Hands down the most comfortable sunscreen I've tried so far.

And that's it! These five steps take me five minutes to complete, and my skin is really, really thankful for it.

What are your favorite morning skincare products?

I had been so excited about the NYX launch on Nykaa that as soon as I received the email in my inbox, I subscribed for the launch notifications and went about making my wish list. The NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken was the FIRST product that I added to my wish list.

Fast forward to the actual day of the launch, I woke up LATE in the morning and in my half sleepy state logged onto Nykaa to find out to my disappointment that Soft Spoken was SOLD OUT. I had been studying the night before and wasn't able to wake up earlier for the launch and as a result, most of the products on my wish list had been sold out.

Nevertheless, I didn't give up hope. Throughout that day, I logged onto Nykaa at regular intervals, just to see if they had restocked any of the products that I had wanted. Miraculously, they HAD restocked Soft Spoken. I immediately added that one product to my cart and checked out before it went out of stock again!

And when it arrived in the mail, I couldn't have been more excited. It was a beautiful mauve pink shade with a bit of a grey undertone. Very Kat Von  D Lolita.

Now as for the actual product, I LOVE it. The doe foot applicator helps me apply the liquid lipstick with ease. The formula is great, very pigmented and not patchy at all. One layer is usually enough for me. Once the lipstick dries, it sets completely matte. And it does not move or bleed through the day. The lipstick is very comfortable to wear and does not dry out or cause flaking on my lips. In fact, this is one of the most comfortable liquid lipsticks I've owned.

I've heard that it is an EXACT dupe of KVD Lolita, but I haven't been able to confirm it since I don't own Lolita. Yet.

That being said, NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken gets a HUGE thumbs up from me. Its a beautiful everyday shade that will work for almost every complexion. Also, a word of caution, this lipstick is perpetually out of stock on Nykaa, so I'd suggest that you sign up for their restock notification so that you can snap it up for yourself the moment it is available!
Price: Rs. 850

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One of the most highly spoken of products from Colorpop, their Ultra Shock Cheek Highlighter in Wisp was present on my wishlist.


Initially I was looking for a champagne gold highlighter, and was pretty set upon buying Champagne Pop by Becca. My only niggle was that it was too expensive for my budget. Also, I had heard plenty of horror stories about people receiving their Champagne Pops shattered in the mail; Becca's highlighters are notoriously delicate.

While looking for a dupe for Champagne Pop, I stumbled upon Colorpop Wisp. It was described as a "champagne golden" highlighter and was pretty low priced and highly recommended by other bloggers.

It arrived in a cute little white screw top jar, with the holographic logo of Colorpop emblazoned on it. The formula of the highlighter is cream to powder. Upon touching it with my finger, it felt slightly spongy to the touch. Also, this bad boy is highly pigmented. No joke.

If I want a full blown highlight, I'll apply it with my fingertips, blending it well into the skin. This highlighter blends very easily and does not budge upon setting. It lasted me all through the day, even on my oily skin during summers.
I apply this with a fan brush if I want a subtle glow. Either way (fingers or brush) it looks beautiful.

I will highly recommend Wisp from Colorpop, especially for us Indian girls, as it works very well with yellow undertones complexions.

For now, I won't be shelling out any big bucks for Champagne Pop because I'm so happy with the Colorpop Wisp. Its brilliant.

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