Pakistani wedding(Jewellery)

If there is anything that us Pakistani's can do better than anyone in the world, its got to be weddings:)
I totally LOVE shopping for a wedding.All that color and glitter and beautiful stuff just speaks to the girly girl hidden inside me ;)
My brother is getting married in a few months so these days i am all about wedding shopping.In that spirit i am going to do a series of posts on wedding stuff (like jewelery,clothes,shoes,mehandi etc).I also wanted to do one about locations and event organizers and beauty salons but that will be too location specific.
Today's post is going to be all about jewelery.Weddings call for heavy accessories.As not many people wear gold these days due to limitations of money and design. artificial jewelery market in Pakistan is thriving.These days Kundan stuff is all the rage.

If you know where to shop , there is something for everyone.Something simple as a necklace and earings can totally transform your look :)

You can get stuff for all occasions like mehandi etc.The color of the stones matching your particular outfit.

Prices for artificial jewelery range from 500 to 2000- 3000 Pkr.Depends on what you are looking for and how ornate it is.It also depends on location as well.Better to buy it from places like tariq road , saddar , gulf market, where you can get your moneys worth :)

Bangles and bracelets are another way you can spice up your look without too much effort.There are new and old both kind of designs available in the market.I personally prefer the more traditional take in jewelery design.

Than there is silver jewelery that has been gold plated. This is more expensive as compared to other types.Going for anywhere from 10,000 to 15000 pkr for a full set.

Hair accessories,rings,ornate pins to hold your dupatta in place ;)

Hope you liked this post.I wanted to list prices below each item but i cant seem to remember what everything cost :) As always feel free to comment if you have any questions.I am no expert but i will  share my experiences with you:)
Till next time.......

KEUNE BALM CONDITIONER

I had only heard of this brand in terms of their hair colors and other salon products.I bought this conditioner more out of curiosity than anything else.Now i am totally in love with it :)

Keune is a brand from Netherlands.They have a very comprehensive range of hair products , from hair colors to styling products , conditioners etc.
The company's claim about this product on their website is:

Ingredients:
Aqua/water,cetearyl alcohol,glycerin,polyquaternium-32,paraffinum liquidum/mineral oil,cetrimonium chloride,ceteareth-20,butyrospermum parkii/shea butter,distearyldimonium chloride,saccharomyces/silicone ferment,saccharomyces magnesium ferment,saccharomyces/copper ferment.saccharomyces iron ferment, saccaromyces/zinc ferment,Paraffinum/Fragrance,PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor oil,Methyl Paraben.Citric acid,coumarin,Butylphenyl Methylpropional

Amount:
200ml/6.8 fl oz
Cost
Between Rs 350-400
Available at:
Most beauty shops.
Imtiaz store
Naheed super market

My thoughts:
Comes in a tube.Which is very easy to use as you get to use most of the product without too much hassel.
Creamy in texture.
Deep conditioner , so i use it only once or twice a week.
Leaves hair soft and tangle free.
Smells good.
One tube will last months.
Easily available.
Not expansive.
Very good for dry , frizzy ,fly away hair.
Gives hair a soft , manageable texture.
Apply to clean towel dry hair,leave for 3 min max.Rinse thoroughly.
Do i recommend it:
1oo%.I have been using it for 2 years now and i still have to find anything that works for my hair as well as this.
Would i repurchase:
As soon as this tube ends :)
You can find more on Keune Hair Products on their website by clicking on the link below:
http://www.keune.com/
Till next time:)
P.S I apologize for the scanty number of pics but my camera died & we are in the process of replacing it. Please bear with us in the mean time:)

Becute (waterproof) Mascara in Black

Becute is a brand that is widely available in Pakistan.I have mostly used nail polishes, lipsticks and lip liners from Becute.
The product i bring you today is "Becute water proof mascara in black".Its not a revolutionary product , as mascara's go.But if you cant get your hands on a better product, than this is not so bad.

PROS:

• Small , travel friendly tube.

• Comes with 10ml of product.

• Cheap (Pkr 200-250)

• Good pigmented black color

• No clumping

• Water proof

• Formula is not runny (hate that in a mascara)

• Dries quickly

• Stays on for 5-6 hours(which is quite a feat considering the price)

CONS:

• Not lengthening or volumizing.

• There are waaaaayyy better products than this available in the market. (very easily)

If you are starting your make up collection and cant yet afford to spend 700-1200 Rs on a mascara that you'll discard in 6 months anyway,this is for you. It will not make your eyelashes "out of this world" but it will definitely darken their color and hold curl (for a couple of hours at least)
Till next time ;)

Skin food's Sun Aloe bb cream

Skin food's is an Asian brand of cosmetics.I got the opportunity to try one of their bb creams recently.Its called the "Sun Aloe bb cream".As you all know,i am a bb cream fanatic.I have been obsessed with this product since i first heard about it.

I am already using the maybelline mineral bb cream (that's what its called i think) so this review will also be a comparison between the two products.Skin food's says:
An excellent soothing treatment with UV protection (SPF20 PA++), it especially suits people with sensitive skin. This cream leaves skin feeling moisturized while it corrects skin tone for a naturally air-brushed complexion.
Packaging: Its ok.I mean, i don't hate it... The Maybelline one has better packaging.
Amount of product: This one is 50g/176oz compared to Maybelline bb cream 18ml. I believe the Maybelline clear smooth minerals instant skin perfecting cream(there! i got the name right) is available in a 30ml tube as well.

Sun Protection: Skin foods = SPF 20 PA ++  ,  Maybelline = SPF26 PA+++
Color: Skin food's: Two shades i believe.1&2 (I have it in 1,which is the lighter shade) , Maybelline = one color only "Fresh".
Consistency: Skin food's bb cream (sun aloe) has a very runny consistency as compared to the Maybelline one. 
Smell: This one,when you initially put it on has a mild odor to it.Smells like anti acne medication.Kinda like it may have salicylic acid in it(which i can not confirm as i cant read the ingredients list,which is not in English)
Good news is that that after a while it goes away,
Blending: I don't have any problems blending either product on my skin.No caking involved.But if you have a slightly darker complexion than the skin food's sun aloe bb cream may not work for you , as the color is too light even shade 2.

Coverage: Medium (for both) Will not hide blemishes , acne or darkly pigmented areas of skin.
Price: I got the Maybelline one from Malaysia for RM 22.The Skin food's one i got here in Karachi for Rs 275.
Skin Foods website : http://www.skinfood.sg/beta/product.php?catid=14
I have been using this for a week now (almost).Its super easy to use.I just use it with my fingers,no brushes involved.Evens out my skin tone.Provides SPF.Is mattifying (for 2hrz at least) which , in this weather and with my skin, is a miracle in it self ;)
I totally recommend it especially to people who are trying bb cream for the first time.Hope this was helpful:) 
Till next time....

Daily cleansing routine

Winter is long gone(as brief as it usually is in Karachi).The hot weather is back with a vengence and with a promise of becoming even hotter in the coming months,Compared to the dry and rough weather of the winter ,i think i am better equipped to deal with the oil slick my face becomes in the summer.The trick with oily skin is "moderation".Too much oil is bad but if you dry up the skin too much thats not recommended either.I try to keep my daily cleansing products to a bare minimum because
1.I am very lazy ;)
2.I am very very busy!
So a cleansing routine that is too complicated wont work for me at all.
To cleanse my face i use "Noxema triple action anti blemish astringent"  REVIEW HERE

Face wash: My absolute favorite "Clean and clear foaming facial wash"

Moisturizer: "Clean and clear oil free moisturizer" (the best)

My night cream has always been the "nivea soft intensive nourishing cream"

These are the products i use at least three times a day.In the morning,when i come home and and at night.
I use scrub twice a week and its my fav brand : "St Ives apricot scrub"

For mask in this weather, i use   READ THIS
1,Saeed ghani mutani mutti(clay)+rose water+saeed ghani sandal powder paste.
2.Saeed ghani multani mutti+saeed ghani ubtan+sandal powder+1tsp of milk
I alternate between the above two combination.Use them at least 4times/week.They work wonders!
And last but not the least in this weather when getting dehydrated is very much a possibility for the skin i try to drink more or less 8 glasses of water/day.
Hope this helped:) If you want to share your go to products for daily cleansing routine.Feel free to do so in the comment section below.I would love to find and try something new:)
Till next time.....

Henna(Hair conditioner)

Henna or Mehandi is a powder made of dried Henna leaves.It is mostly used to dye hair in Pakistan but that is not its only quality.It is also a very good hair conditioner.But like any other herbal product it has to be the genuine article to work.A lot of time the Henna powder that is available in the market is not pure .It has got chemicals in it to enhance the color it will give too the hair.This type of Henna is very bad for hair and should not be used under any circumstances.

Where to get:
From shops that sell spices and herbs(A lot of them are in the sadar area)Get the genuine stuff(ie only the grounded powder of dried Henna leaves)
How to use:

• Make a paste and leave overnight.This helps the paste to become concentrated and also increase the intensity of the color it will give to your hair.

• Apply the paste in your hair like a hair mask.Leave for two hours(If you are using it as a dye and not as a mask than you'll have to leave it in longer),rinse thoroughly with water and shampoo , conditioner as usual.

Additions:
A lot of stuff can be added to the Henna paste, like

• Lemon juice-->conditioner

• A tsp of black coffee powder--> to increase color pay off.

• Aloe Vera juice--> Good for hair growth

• Vinegar-->intensifies the color

• Egg/yogurt-->good for haie

• Amla,Reetha,sikakai powder--> Hair growth

Precautions:
Henna primarily is a dye so

• Wear gloves.

• Rinse immediately if gets on nails as it stains them.

• Protect your clothing.If you have gray hair,using henna only for 2-3 hours may give them an orange color (which is really looks weird)

• Not to be used on lighter colored hair(e.g blond hair)simply because i have no idea what will happen;)

• Be sure that you are not allergic to it prior to use.

• Henna has a tendency to dry the hair a bit so use a good conditioner.

• DO NOT USE "BLACK HENNA"(that is not natural henna and is bad for both skin and hair)

Hope this was helpful:)
Till next time....

Sleek "Avoir la Peche" collection Paraguay 602 palette

I have been meaning to review this palette for a few weeks now but no time!!Life has been incredibly busy these past weeks.At least it has given me time to try a few looks and play with it.
Sleek "Avoir la Peche" collection Paraguay 602 palette is a quality product.No questions about it.I really really like this palette. The colors are very summery.The shades of orange,pink and peach all making a very handy combination of colors to work with.

My thoughts:

• Nice packaging.The box and the palette it self are very sturdy and pleasing to the eye.

• The color pay off is brilliant.

• The matte and shimmer both kind of shades appear vibrant and are very bendable.

• Comes with a sponge tip applicator,which is not bad.

• The amount of product is satisfactory.The circular containers in the palette almost equal to a one rupee coin.

• Here is a look that can be very easily accomplished with this palette.

This can be ordered on line from the sleek website @ www.sleek.com at a price of 10$ Which is very cheap for a product of this quality.
This palette has made me a fan of Sleek products.I totally recommend it and will definitely order from them again.
Hope you found this review helpful:)
Till next time.....

Small Accessories Haul

All the items bought from Tariq centre , Tariq Road.
Till next time:)