Haul post: From Australia with Love ♥

Erk! I really have to start posting more often! I wish I could. >.< Just a little while more, my pretties! I promise I'll be back to *more* regular posting! And don't worry guys, I'll be choosing a winner for the giveaway soon! Just give me some time. ^-^

Yesterday was a good day for me, among the piles of illustrations to be done, there was a ray of hope! Three great things happened yesterday:

1. The circle lenses I ordered arrived in less than a week that too! Woohoo!
2. I won Vanity No Apologies' eye makeup contest with this entry! *happy dance*
3. And my aunt sent me over some awesome, AWESOME makeup stuff all the way from the land down under! 

I'll be showing you the lenses in another post, this post is going to be completely about the makeup I got from my maushi (Marathi for aunt. ^u^)

Heehee, I couldn't help myself!

I had asked her specifically for drugstore makeup, I wanted to see the different things you get there compared to here. :)

So here's what I got:

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipsticks: Coral Crush and Pinkalicious

Pinkalicious on left, Coral Crush on right

 Pinkalicious is a red-pink with shimmer, great for special occassions! I have zero number of shimmery lipsticks so i was happy to see this! :D
Coral Crush is a colour I have been eyeing for almost a year now! I kept waiting hoping they would release it in India but they never did. -__- so I asked my maushi to send it to me if it was available there. :)
It's a pretty pinky coral colour, no shimmer whatsoever.

These lipsticks were sealed like this. How come the ones here are not? :(

Garnier BB cream

Garnier BB cream in Light "02"

The Garnier BB cream was something that I wanted to try for a while too, espacially after trying the one by Maybelline, I was quite eager to try this! I looked up swatches and the Medium shade seemed very dark so I asked for Light, luckily this shade blends into my skin just right!

So those were the three things I had asked for buuuut.. My aunt went beyond the list and sent over a bunch of other goodies too! ♥

Maybelline XXL Pro Extensions Mascara

 I love Maybelline mascaras! This is one of those duo ones that make your lashes look crazy huge! Only drawback is that it isn't waterproof so I can't use it in the rain now. :<

Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow quad "Coffee Bean"

 I have seen this eyeshadow quad before but not in this colour. Can't wait to try it. :) Looks like a less shimmery version of Chai Latte by Maybelline.

KATE Gradical Eyes in Golden

 Ooooh! I'm so excited about this quad! It has shimmery shades of gold and even an eyebase! I've been wanting to try Asian cosmetic for a long time so I'm happy I get to try something from Kanebo, which is well known Japanese brand! :D

The brush that comes with it is actually amazing! It has a sponge on the other end.

Le gradient

Maybelline eyestudio mono eyeshadow "Iced fudge"

I'm never going to have to buy neutral colours for a long long time! :D

Now for the grand finale!
NAILPOLISH! :D She got me TEN Ulta3 polishes! *happy tears* They're so pretty!
Ulta3 is a great drugstore brand down there btw..

Frosty: Freesia and Tropez

Reds: Scarlet ♥ and Pepper Pot

Summer colours: Tahitian Lime and Tahiti (my instant faves!)

Purples/ Pinks and Blue: Mulberry, Purple Passion, Hot Spring and Hollywood

 Look at what happened to my Hot Spring shade though! ;A;

The case of the missing nail polish brush, it's actually missing! LOL!

Sucks! It was such a pretty colour too! X( 

That was my "From Australia with Love" haul! :D I can't wait to try out everything! I think I'll try the polishes first. :D

Have you been pining for a makeup product because it wasn't available in your country? Tell me what it was and if you managed to finally get it! :D
See you soon! ♥

The Anti-Acne Force: The Garnier Pure Active Range

I don't do many skincare reviews, I don't think I've ever done one! So I think I'll do one on the Garnier Pure Active range that I've been testing out.

Pure Active Range

Remember the ad campaign, Garnier had come out with for their Blackhead Uprooting scrub? It had this guy who was the mafia boss of all blackheads..

So if the acne is the mafia, Garnier Pure Active is obviously the anti-acne patrol! Here's who is on the force:

Officer 1:
Garnier PureActive Blackhead Uprooting Scrub

Job Description:
A white grainy scrub with blue beads, salicylic acid and menthol to remove blackheads and reduce their occurrence, to clear imperfection spots.

Pay:
Rs.79 for 50g
Officer Evaluation Report:
This guy is cool. Seriously cool. He'll make your skin tingle and leave you feeling smooth, soft and clean. If you're a sensitive girl, you may want to keep your distance, he can be rough. For some of you out there like me, he might fool you with his cool ways and end up being a double agent for Don Blackhead up there. Leaving you with more acne than when you started.

I gave him up in a week, made my skin too angry. He's living comfortably in my sister's skincare regime now, she loves him. I hope he won't turn on her too.

Officer 2:
Garnier PureActive Pore Unclogging Wash

Job Description:
Is a clear blue facewash with menthol and salicylic acid.  Deeply purifies pores, removes dirt from within searching for the perfect skin result.

Pay: 
Rs.79 for 50g.
Office Evaluation Report:
his guy's cool too, just not as much as  the Blackhead Uprooting Scrub. He isn't as appealing at first sight but when you get to know him, his menthol scent but gentle ways will win you over. He makes your skin feel happy and clean without being to drying. He makes your pores look smaller and makes your skin feel prettier. Not as popular and showy  as his bro but definitely a keeper! I'll never let him out of my skincare regime!

Officer 3: 
Garnier PureActive Pimple Relief Roll-on

Job Description: 
A gel that can be rolled onto pimples to clear them, especially when they're red and scary! Has a metal roller ball. Reduces redness in 5 hours, imperfections seem clearer in 2 days.

Pay:  
Rs.199 for 10g.
Officer Evaluation Report:
This girl is awesome! Nothing like the incompetent Pure Pimple Control Pen. She's ACTIVE! She does what she says, she works fast and reduces redness in a few hours and definitely helps dry out pimples over 1-2 days.She does sting though, expect to "feel the burn" when she's working. Overall a great addition to the force!

With the exception of Officer 1, who is being replaced by L'Oreal 360 Go Clean, this is a great force battling my skin's enemies everyday, this humid summer!

Have you tried any products from Garnier's PureActive range too? Have any of them worked for you?

Disclaimer: Products were PR samples. Opinions are all honest and 100% mine.

This Summer Fight Sweat with NEW Garnier Men

Garnier Men PowerLight Sweat + Oil Control Fairness Moisturiser is the 1st fairness Moisturiser, specifically made for Indian men, with a light, non sticky formula; enriched with brightening lemon extract and perlite, that makes skin look visibly fairer and keeps it sweat and oil free, even in humid conditions.

Catering to the grooming needs of the image conscious men, Garnier Men’s range offers facewashes, moisturizers and body deodorants. With this latest addition in PowerLight range, men can stay sweat free and not be bothered with oily skin & skin darkening this summer. Now, experience fairness without sweat and oiliness!

•       Intensive Fairness Action – Enriched with brightening lemon extract, makes skin visibly fairer immediately and gives a lasting fair look
•         Intensive sweat + oil-control action – The formula containing perlite, which has 5 times the absorbing power of talc* helps keep skin clean, sweat and oil free. 

editor note: John Abraham wants YOU to buy this for your man!

Garnier MEN PowerLight SWEAT + OIL CONTROL in available in two sizes, 20g and 50 g, and retails at MRPs of Rs 85 and Rs 170 respectively.

Here is the link to the TVC- 

Editor's note: As much I don't like the idea of fairness creams, I love the idea of sweat and oil control. I might just use this myself if the boyfriend doesn't want to! LOL!

What's In My Mail? L'oreal and NYX

Hi girls, I know I usually say guys but I don't think any actual guys read my blog so I'm sticking with, "Hi girls!" Anyway, it's Wednesday.. No man's land. *sigh* Not that I mind, I work at home. :P But still, something about Wednesday is a downer right? Luckily I got the package I was talking about in my haul post a few days ago to make my day a bit perkier. :D

Here's what I got:

L'Oreal Go 360 Clean & NYX Candy Glitter Liner 

I got the Anti-Breakout type cleanser and NYX's Crystal candy Glitter Liner. Yay! I've been wanting to try these out for awhile now!

First Impressions:
L'Oreal 360 Clean-
OMG! The size of the bottle is BIG! Like really big! 178ml! That's like a medium sized shampoo bottle. :D I have never used a face wash in such a large quantity, so quantity wise, this is well worth the 339 INR I paid, the original cost is 400 btw!

And I love this scrubby thing.. *ahem* Scrublet...

"Hi, I'm a scrublet!" :D

I was most curious to try this product because of this little guy! I expected it to be flexible but not too soft but I was dead wrong, it is so soft! For a second I was just like.. "Okaaayy! How you get stuff off my face?" But I guess it does! The best way to explain it is... It feels like a cat's tongue. -__-

"I'm a softie!"

 I like how it has a little nub you can hold. :D

Overall, on a first impression basis, I'm liking this cleanser, it smells a lot like the Garnier Pore Unclogging Facewash, which I love! I just hope it doesn't make me break out, I have a sneaking suspicion that my Garnier Blackhead Uprooting Scrub is! X(
Reviews for all these to come soon! :)

The NYX Candy Glitter Liner "Crystal"-
I've wanted a glitter liner ever since my DOL one clumped up on me.. I didn't even have it for so long! *sobs*
Crystal is a pretty pink/green/blue/purple holo on a white/ transparent base.. Vague yes? Glitter is hard to define! LOL! I want to get this other colours too, especially bright ones!

"I'm pretty! Oh, so pretty!~~"

This is what the liner is supposed to look like:

BUT LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO MY TASSLE!! *sobs some more*

"I feel nekkid. D:"

Why you cut it off?! ;A; So weird!

I hope you enjoyed my first impressions post. :) have you tried the L'Oreal 360 Go Clean or NYX Candy Glitter Liners before? What was your impression?

Edit: OMG! 94 followers! *does happy dance* Yikes! i still haven't gotten much ready for my 100 giveaway! FML! *gets to work*

The Villains of Faceville- Blackheads!

I know, blackheads are those sinister beasts we can never seem to beat, poking out of our pores, mocking us, making us feel miserable. But now Garnier Pure Active's new campaign shows us, that these little Facevillains have personalities too, and not very nice ones!

Blackheads are not something you want on your face -- ever. The word alone is not a pretty one. So before this skin issue came to a head, so to speak, the experts picked their brains. This summer, Skin care leader Garnier Pure Active has come to the rescue of many distressed teenagers and young adults haunted by this skin problem.

Talking and educating people about Blackheads is not the easiest task to accomplish. So Garnier Pure Active has come up with a campaign that will not only educate the audience but also engage them in a way never done before. So after a lot of outrageous thinking by some imaginative people, Garnier Pure Active has unveiled the Bust Blackheads Campaign.

The Thought:

Get the Blackhead talking! Give an identity to the blackheads and educate the audience through quirky characters, instead of going the usual preachy way. How is that done? 
Design characters that are likeable yet have a personality annoying enough for them to eventually die at the hands of the hero the “Blackheads Uprooting Scrub”.  The task is to ensure that when a person sees these characters, he knows they are ‘Black Heads’ in the true sense of the word.

Meet the Blackheads:

Garnier Pure Active has created a fictitious town called Faceville which for obvious reasons resides on your face & the citizens are called Facevillains taking into consideration the damage that they cause to your face. The Facevillians have names characteristic to a blackheads personality.

Education through Engagement:

Blackheads are black spots on the skin. The main reason for its occurrence is oil secretion in the skin which leads to the growth of ugly blackheads. Apart from oil; pollution, sweat, improper personal hygiene, dust, etc are also the other major reasons. Now reading these above 4 lines could probably put you to sleep. So Garnier Pure Active has decided to educate the users through funny comics and situations that occur on Faceville which is the Blackhead world.
In order to engage the users, the brand will be running a series of contests and fun interactive quizzes which allow Fans to be a part of Faceville and interact with them. 

Here are a few funny situations: 

Media:

Facebook being the central hub for the campaign, digital banners across sites such as YouTube, Yahoo, Indiatimes, In.com, IDiva, the Google Network and other niche sites are being used to proliferate the message and generate visibility.

The teasers have consumers guessing who these ‘characters’ really are. The objective is to create intrigue and generate a sense of ‘likeability’ for the design and also communicate that these characters are ‘bad’

Sustenance: 

The sustenance phase of the campaign will be revealed in two stages that will educate consumers about blackheads. Apart from being visually stimulating, the campaign focuses on core communication and has strong elements of education and zeroing in on the product truth. 

While the campaign will be on for 60 days, it took close to two and a half months to create the characters.

The aim is not only to engage but also to educate. The campaign has generated a lot of interest and people are increasingly talking about the brand.

Interesting campaign right? Check out more on this fun campaign on their Facebook page here and their app Faceville Times, which happens to be Faceville's Weekly newspaper, here.