My Karwa Chauth-nama

Hallo Pretties,

I know that u had a lot of fun yesterday. I enjoyed my day thoroughly.

We girls spend lot of time to make sure that we look our best on Karwa Chauth. I took a salon appointment on Sunday and got a haircut and the usual deforestation. For enhancing my looks I got some highlights in my hair for the first time. But sadly I couldn’t go for any facials as my skin is not completely free of pimples these days L.

On Monday I applied heena on my hands. The beautiful design was taken from Wiseshe. After an hour of work, I felt so sleepy that I kept the mehndi on for just one hour and washed it. Results were OK as you can see-

 

 

And yesterday was dedicated to the Pooja-preparations. I cooked everything alone except Puris. Here hubby helped me as he took a half-day. I was done by 4 in the evening so we watched a movie chatted, I did my green-gold manicure in the meantime. (Images are not great as I clicked with my mobile)

At 6 I took a quick shower and then started the decorations and other arrangements. I finished it all at 7:15 PM and then settled in front of the dressing-table. I was quick and got ready at 8:30, so I didn’t have to wait for the moon as it was already there by that time :D. We performed the pooja and I broke my fast. Then was the time for photo-session after which we enjoyed our meal.

As I didn’t have my wedding-lehanga with me, I wore a very pretty maroon, net Saree with silk-thread-embroidery (hubby’s choice). I went heavy (green+orange+silver eyeshadows and green kohl with mascara) on eye-makeup and gave my lips a subtle orange shade using my Astor Red-orange lipstick. You can read my review of it here on Wiseshe. I left my hair open which were in a twist-bun since morning. This gave my otherwise flat hair some volume. A red rhinestone bindi and gold maang-tika along with matching bangles completed my look.

What you guys did on Karwa-Chauth?

(Hubby has mistakenly deleted the pics that I took for my next review, now I’m going to make him click another set for me)

Healthy Choco bites

Hi,

Weekend is here finally, so I decided to share something that is an instant mood-lifter- a chocolate dessert. You can treat yourself to this delicious delicacy and share it with others (if you feel like sharing such a treat). I know that you want to relax on weekends and this recipe gets ready without much ado and takes hardly 15 minutes.

I read the recipe yesterday on the fitness blog Missfit and was tempted to try it today itself. The results were so delectable that I HAD to share it with you guys.

This chocolate dessert has the enjoyment of the dark choco and nuts but comes without the baggage of high calories. These bites have no added sugar. Take a look at the ingredients list-

 

·         ½ cup almonds

·         2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

·         2 tbsp dessicated coconut powder

·         10-15 raisins

·         3 de-seeded dates

·         One drop vanilla

·         A pinch of salt

 

 

 

 

 

Walnuts can be added if you like; I opened the box then closed it as I was skeptical of their somewhat bitter aftertaste. Next time walnuts are going in it.

Method- No cooking needed……..yay!! Just take all the ingredients in a grinder and……grind them!! Hehe :D

 

The mixture turns out little coarse and just perfectly sticky. Take desired amount in your palm and make balls. I made ½’ balls and the quantity was 10. I rolled a few of the balls or laddoos in coconut powder for some variation in flavour.

I couldn’t wait to eat them and popped two right away. These choco balls have  just the right blend of bitter-sweet flavour and I must say- No one can eat just one!!

The almonds without the outer shell are devoid of nutrients. I always buy high quality almonds that come with hard outer shell. It is a task to crack them but we do it in an entertaining way- sit on floor, keep cracking the almonds and keep chatting with each other. One kg is done real fast and we get to talk a lot..

For details about the nutritional-value of these choco-pops, you can check Missfit

Do try them and share your experience.

 

Pond’s Pimple-clear White Multi-Action Facial Wash Review

Hi People!!!!

It rained too much in my town this year. So much so that, the usually dry weather became extremely humid annoying my oily skin. Pimples started raising their white heads on my face after a long time, leaving their footprints oops…..marks behind.  So I had to think of something to overcome the problem.
Facewashes from Pond’s have always been my darling after Neutrogena. I gave a try to the latest Pond’s Pimple-clear white facewash which claims to fight ten oil and pimple problems. Let’s see how good a soldier this facewash is-

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Pond’s Pimple-clear White Multi-Action Facial Wash-

·         Oil absorbing clay

·         Pimple fighting Salicylic Formula

·         Brightening Essence

Price and Availability- Rs.75/- for 50 g

Its easily available everywhere.

Shelf-life- 2 years

Ingredients-

Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid and Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glycol Distearate, Decyl Glucoside, Polyethylene, Glyceryl Stearate, Silica & CI74260, Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, DMDN Hydantoin & IodopropynylButylcarbamate, Fragrance, Azadirachta indica Leaf Extract & Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/leaf extract, Kaolin, CI 17200, CI 19140, CI 42090

 

My experience- It is a general perception that gel based products are best-suited for oily skin. It is true in my case as well except in case of facial washes. My skin doesn’t feel clean after a wash using gel facewashes, it remains sticky. Surprisingly for me, the creamy Pond’s facewashes work really well. I’ve been using their Oil-control facewash for the longest time.

This Pimple-clear white facewash claims to clear pimples and blemishes as well as to give a bright skin. The Packaging is the usual Pond’s facewash type with a flip-top cap.

The facial wash is light green in colour with very fine green granules in it. It works well as a mild scrub and makes skin smooth while removing oil. The fragrance is little strong but pleasant.

 I can see that the pimples are reduced but marks are still there. So I’m not sure of its ‘reduces blemishes’ claim. Skin remains clean for at least 2 hours so I guess it tightens pores a little. Redness is also gone. I have many black/whiteheads but it has not been successful in reducing them. Brightening is instant but short-lived.

But I am happy to see that my pimples are less in number now. For blemishes I use Lotus Oatmeal and Yogurt whitening scrub and will review it.

What I like-

·         Removes oil effectively

·         Reduces pimples

·         Smoothens and tightens skin

·         Reduces redness

·         Pocket-friendly

·         Easily available

·         Good packaging

What I didn’t-

·         Brightening effect does not last

·         No effect on black/whiteheads

·         No reduction in blemishes

Rating- 3/5

Overall Verdict- This is an OK product which works nicely on oily skin. But it obviously is not a must-buy.

 

Vermicelli Recipe- Bhopali Sevai

Hey People,

Today I am sharing a very tasty dessert recipe. My hubby learnt this from a cookery show of his fav chef Vineet. Hubby has made it twice and it turns out really tasty. I’ve never cooked it myself but I stand with him in the kitchen (to prevent the mess :P).

Bhopali Vermicelli is a creamy, delectable sweat dish. It’s very easy and quick to dish out. The mean vermicelli takes a dashing avatar here.

Ingredients (Serves-4)

Vermicelli (Vermicelli)- 150 gm

Full cream milk- 750 ml

Kalakand/Rabri/Milkmaid- 200g

Gulabjamun- 4 pieces

Pistachio- 4 tbsp

Raisins + Charoli (chironji)- 4 tbsp

Desi ghee- 4 tbsp

Preparation-

Take ghee in a deep, thick-bottomed pan and roast vermicelli and pistachios in it together. When vermicelli turns brown, add milk and bring it to boil. Then add kalakand ( the chef prefers it, so does hubby) and other dry fruits. Keep stirring and as the mixture becomes thick (it hardly takes 5 minutes) turn off the flame. Pour the Vermicelli in four dessert bowls. Cut gulabjamuns in halves and arrange them on the thick Vermicelli. You can also sprinkle pistachios on gulabjamun.

Keep it in freezer for 30 minutes and serve chilled.

This lip-smacking sweet is perfect for every occasion and tastes heavenly. The taste may tempt you but eat it in moderation as it is very high in calorie content.

Try it and tell me how you liked it. It’s a perfect Diwali treat for your family and guests.

PS- you can use ’fini’ instead of vermicelli.

 

 

 

Colorbar Nude Pink 007 Lip Pencil Review-

Hallo Pretty Girls,

Today’s post is a ladies’ exclusive (unless boys are looking for something to gift). Yesterday I told you that I purchased two items from Colorbar. One is a lipliner and the other item is a primer. Before I review the lipliner, I’d like to inform you that Colorbar has come up with very pretty crayons for your luscious lips. They are quite cheap and highly pigmented. Shades available are so pretty that I was confused but will get at least one soon. I was in a hurry or I’d have taken pics and showed you the swatches.

Now, I bought 2 things and got an eyeliner free!!! It was a gift so I just took it and said ‘Thanks’. But at home I found out that the liner was already past its use-by dateL. I didn’t expect that. Let’s get started with the review-

Price- INR 399

Shelf-life- 2.5 years

Packaging- The lipliner is a metallic grey twist-pencil. The colour name and number is printed in black. The lower end of the pencil has the same colour as the shade so it’s easy to locate the desired shade. The packaging is good and tight cap makes it travel friendly as well.

Shade, Pigmentation & Texture- The shade is a lovely pink-brown. It looks browner on my lips when compared to the hand swatch where it looks more on the pinkish side. The pigmentation is good but the pencil tugs on lips (lipbalm needed).

What I think of Colorbar Nude Pink 007 Lip Pencil-

I almost always use a nude lipliner before applying lipsticks. This liner is perfect for the purpose. It makes my lipcolors last longer.

Though it doesn’t settle much in fine lines, it does accentuate them even after exfoliation. So if you want to wear this lovely nude all by itself. You are going to need a transparent gloss.

The shade does not transfer and is very light on lips. It lasts forever and you need a makeup remover to remove it completely.

I like this lip pencil a lot. The shade number 007 is also interesting especially for Bond….James Bond fans.

The Positives-

·         A pretty nude pink-brown

·         Not transferable

·         Lightweight

·         Good packaging

·         Long shelf-life

·         Will suit a variety of skin tones

·         Long lasting

·         Boosts the staying-power of lipsticks

·         Good pigmentation

The Negatives-

·         Little pricey

·         Accentuates fine lines

·         Does not glide smoothly on lips

·         Drying

Summing it up- This one is a nice option for that perfect nude base for your lipsticks. I would repurchase it.

Rating- 4.5/5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Online Shopping Experience- Purplle.com

Hi All,

I haven’t posted anything in last two days. Saturday was Ashtami so I was fasting and relaxing. Yesterday I went on an outing with my SIL and niece (I’m not too old for them :P). Though it was a window-shopping trip, we ended up buying a few things. I bought three cute pairs of earrings and two things from one of my dear brands- Colorbar. We ate a lot and I’m in love with the food-court of World Trade Park- grand interiors and delicious food. And more options are coming there soon to tickle your taste-buds (Jaipur is already a heaven for taste lovers whether you like Indian or international). But in the food-court you will see a really funny thing- boys dressed as the guards of Buckingham Palace standing like teddy-bears!!

More on Colorbar purchases later. It’s the time to share my purchasing experience on a website that offers a lot of items related to personal care for both men and women- purplle.com

About purplle.com-

This is a Mumbai based online-shopping portal. Purplle has a lots of brands on offer- from the drug-store items to the high-end ones.You will love the sheer variety of things on offer. They keep adding more and more new brands to their shop. They claim that they offer- Complete Personel Care and Grooming. They have cosmetics, personal-care products, fragrances and electronics used for grooming etc.

In cities other than Mumbai, they promise to deliver goods within 4-6 business days. That’s good, I say. They offer free home-delivery on orders of INR 699 and above (I love this part!!).

Their logistics partner is Javas.

My Journey with purplle.com-

I’ve shopped three times from them till date. I opt for Cash on Delivery as my bank does not approve many sitesL.

The first time I ordered, the items were on my doorstep bang on the fourth day….I was so happy. All the things were bubble-wrapped and packed in an ordinary brown carton, covered with a purplle.com sticky tape. I just do not like the carton. I know that I’ll throw it away but I WANT a pretty box.

My second shopping spree was not that great. I ordered four things and after 6 days got a mail stating that I’ll get three items in first shipping and the fourth one in another. I paid for 3 products and waited for the fourth to arrive. It never came L. I got a cancellation mail, due to unavailability (though the website showed the product ‘In Stock’). COD option saved me from trouble.

Here the good part was that even though the price of the first shipment was less than INR 699, I didn’t need to pay shipping charges (it was their mistake people). Later I got a ‘We are sorry for the delay’ mail and a discount coupon as an apology. The coupon had to be used within 2 days and offered 5% discount on all items. Without wasting any time I ordered again.

This time my order was delivered on the third day itself, they again deviated but for good this time.

The Positives-

·         Fast delivery (generally)

·         The products are always in good condition

·         They keep running good offers

·         Purplle has a great logistics partner in Javas- simply wow service

·         They offer cash on delivery

The Negatives-

·         You can’t see the contents without paying first

·         I have one bad experience but hope for the improvements are high

·         Many products are out of stock

·         Many brands are available but the number of products on offer needs an increase

Summing it up- purplle.com is a good option for online shopping lovers as well as for those who want to start shopping on the web. Go for it.

Rating- 4/5

An Update- This website has gone haywire now. They show things to be in stock but after placing the order, they say that order will be delayed as some item is not available. As of June 7, 2014, I'm still waiting for my order of May5, 2014 to be delievered completely. Customer service is pathetic and no one replies to mails and calls. My current rating would be- 1/5

My Dining Experience-Ministry of Spice, Jaipur

I am a food lover and keep exploring new restaurants with my hubby (he is a foodie as well :D). Our last stop was a restaurant located in lush greenery- Ministry of Spice.

(Can’t provide any pictures as we were out on some important work and didn’t carry the camera L)

After a morning of shopping and Sarkari offices we wanted to relax. Though we were tired but not very hungry. But he said that he will take me to a place with great ambience and food (Hubby has already been there, before our marriage, obviously!). We stopped outside a red boundary wall and I saw the name- Ministry of Spice (good one, I say). We stepped inside and I loved the soothing green environment.

About the restaurant-

The food-joint is located in SFS Mansarovar. This place used to be a horse-riding training academy (don’t know if it still is). The place has two sections- the portion on the right is open-air but has shade over it and the one on the left is an AC restaurant made of see-through glass. You can choose to sit wherever you want to. As it was a cloudy noon, we decided to enjoy the cool breeze. The waiter even set up a pedestal-fan and we settled on the comfortable cane chairs.

The Menu-

The waiter gave us the menu-cards, which had options in both veg and non-veg. They also offer continental, Chinese and desserts. The first thing that I noticed was that there were not many options but the selection of starters and main course was very careful. Next thing was the very nominal prices. Ya, Such nice food and at a beautiful place at a really good price!

As we were not very hungry, we ordered just one curry and rotis (we are vegetarians or eggetarians  to be precise). I have forgotten the exact name of the curry but it was something like- Firang Subz. It is English vegetables cooked in tomato gravy. Sounds tasty, right? The Chapattis we favoured were plane tandoori roti.

The Service and our experience-

Our order was on our table soon and I liked the presentation. The food looked really yummy and despite our low hunger levels, we almost jumped on it. I immediately realized that the food not only looked appetizing but it was quite delectable as well. We both had one chapatti more than our hunger :D.

The amount of curry was sufficient for two persons and they also served very nicely chopped onions, pickles and two types of chutneys to go with the food.

As we were enjoying the food, it started to rain. The blowing wind and mini rain-droplets that came with it every now and then, enhanced the complete experience.

The waiters dressed in red were quite attentive and friendly.

All our weariness was gone and we felt so relaxed.

The things I loved-

·         Most importantly the food was delicious

·         Soothing ambience

·         Polite and attentive staff

·         Economical

·         Two types of seating arrangements to choose from

The not so lovable points-

·         Toilets need an upgrade and more cleanliness

·         Located little far ( but it adds to the calmness)

·         More variety in the menu would be great

Summing it up- Jaipur has many great places for eating out and this is one of them. I would love to go there again and recommend the restaurant to all for its food and atmosphere. You can enjoy there with your whole family or just the two of you can spend some quality time. It is a great place for partying with friends as well.

They also offer a big lawn for large gatherings.

Rating- 4/5

I’m sorry for the photo-less post. You can visit there Facebook page here 

Address- SFS Mansarovar, Opp. Rajawat Farms, New Sanganer Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan