Mesmereyes Makeup 1st Anniversary Bash!

One of the best nights of my life.. Can't believe Mesmereyes Makeup has turned ONE already! How time flies! :O 

Thank you to all the beautiful ladies who made it to the party! (scroll down for pics)

I did a live makeup demo on my friend Roshni who volunteered to be my gorgeous model :) I did a Marilyn Monroe look on her- Winged eyeliner, Red lips and the trick of the evening which received alot of appreciation "How to look 5kgs slimmer" , a.k.a, Contouring.. :)

There was great music (DJ Kaushik), finger food and free flowing cocktails (The "Signature Mesmereyes Bubbly" which was PINK in colour :P 

Date: Oct 11, 2012 

Venue: The B Bar, Sommerset, Chennai

Theme: Marilyn Monroe (there was a cute Marilyn Monroe cut of for people to poke their heads into :P) 

A HUGE thank you to the sponsors who provided all the women with exciting goodie bags!! 

Here's what was in the goody bags (the classy bag itself was given by none other than "Be Beautiful") :

1. A complementary foot massage voucher from Spa Senza

2. A box of scrumptious macroons from Tryst Cafe

3. A 7-day pass at any of the 136.1 Yoga Studios in Chennai

4. A 15% off coupon on meals, courtesy Burgundy

5. A Rs.200/- off gift certificate from Mehak florists

Take a look at some of the pics from the event!

Thank you all for your tremendous support!! Mwaaah! :*

Lots of love,

Akriti

xxx

Merry Christmas!!

Yaaay it's finally Christmas! This is the first festival this year where I haven't booked any appointments/trials/workshops because I just want to CHILL OUT!

I tried on this new lipstick by Oriflame- Giordani Gold Jewel Lipstick in Eternal Red. It's beautifully creamy, glides on effortlessly and has a warm undertone which is awesome for Indian skintone!

Oh and I also wrote "Merry Christmas" with a red lipstick (MAC Brave Red) :)

Have a beautiful day!! :* 

Vaseline Total Moisture Body Lotion

I'm in Chandigargh at the moment for the Ponds Femina Miss India 2013 City Pageant and it's freeezing cold!! Coming from a city like Chennai, even 12 degrees feels like -12!

With cold climates comes DEHYDRATED skin :( As soon as I woke up this morning, my skin felt tight and flaky.. Not only the skin on my face, my body too!! Remember guys, your arms and legs are always working, they need some pampering too! A body lotion is mandatory all year round, be it in summer or winter!

Here's a quick guide on how to choose the right body lotioon! :)

Stay hydrated and enjoy the cool winters!

Lots of love,

Akriti

xxx

Indian Vibrant Look

Sooo it's wedding season and I'm sure you have to attend a lot of weddings, some of whom you may not even know! (I think it's an Indian family thing!) Like always, you have to figure out what clothes to wear, matching jewellery, shoes, clutch, bla bla, bla.. The list goes on!! Have you ever thought about your makeup? :O For those of you who have, HI 5!! And for those of you'll who dont... Come on, makeup is like an accessory too!! It's fun to play around with the colours according to your outfit! :D

Here's a video of one of the many looks you can pull off! Hope you enjoy it!

Much vibrant love,
Akriti
xxx

Femina Magazine November Edition!

I know I'm posing as if MY pic is featured on the front cover of the magazine! Lol, excuse the excitement! I was jumping around when I found out my article was published in the "Anniversary" Issue of Femina Magazine (November edition) with Kareena Kapoor on the stands!

All smiles!

Her sexy, seductive look!

The 4 looks that I highlighted:

Page 184:

1. Soft & Pretty- ideal for the day

2. Defined Elegance- apt for a wine & cheese party/lunch

Page 186:

3. Smoking Hot- Party makeup! Clubbing, Prom etc

4. Glitter Fest- Festive look

Page 184

zoomed in

Page 186

zoomed in

Whats more, you also get a free sample of Acti-Life Nutrition Chocolate Flavour with the magazine! :P

Hooray to Freebies!! :P

Grab your copy now!! .. Even though it's the end of Nov haha! 

My Hair Fall Worry!

My routine changes on a daily basis depending on whether I have to rush for a photo shoot, glamourize a bride, shoot a YouTube video or teach women the art of applying makeup.

Being a make-up artist might look like all play, but it does bring with it a challenging routine and lifestyle that one has to strive hard to keep up with. My day could begin at 04:00 AM depending on the bride-to-be’s wedding muhuratham , or end at 11:00 PM if I’m doing a night photo shoot.

There were days when I wanted to pull my hair out, but reality hit me when I realized that such a choc-a-block schedule brings with it some side effects – hair fall being the most common of them. I have thick, wavy, voluminous, mid-length hair which can be quite difficult to manage, but I truly believe that a woman’s hair speaks volumes about her personality and style.

Since I am into make-up and beauty, I am experimental with my hair styles when I want to just let my hair down and dance the night away. So you name it, and I’ve tried it – The fish-tail braid, soft curls, the front pouf etc. Although streaking my hair a year ago gained me numerous compliments it did come with a price – hair damage!!

Inevitably, this leads to hair breakage and HAIR FALL!

I've heard it too many times- eating nutritious food rich in protein, vitamins and iron can improve the strength of your hair and keep hair fall under control; but that's easier said than done!

I even tried following old wives' tales of eating Almonds and drinking Amla (gooseberry) juice to combat hair fall, but that didn't last very long.

Then I began practicing yoga. Any form of exercise helps sweat out the toxins and improves blood circulation, especially on your scalp. Yes, I did try all sorts of things to prevent my hair from thinning!

Although the above mentioned efforts did show some positive results, they weren’t enough to combat hair damage and hair fall. I knew I had to incorporate something more promising and result-oriented into my daily routine.

Just then, by the stroke of luck something amazing happened….

Watch this video to find out! =)

Diwali Makeup Tutorial

Happy Diwali everyone!! =)) Here's to another year of prosperity, happiness and good health!

While you get ready for the numerous Diwali parties, keep this look in mind!  :) 

                                 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

BASE

1. Primer- Inglot 

2. Concealer- MAC Studio Finish- NW 30

3. Foundation- MAC Studio Sculpt- NC 37

4. Powder- Revlon PhotoReady Compact

EYES:

1. Eyeshadow Base- Kryolan 

2. Eyeshadow on 2/3rd eyelids- Gold  ( MAC Rockers & Reelers)

3. Eyeshadow on outer V- Pink: Inglot #607

4. Eyeshadow on socket- Brown : Oriflame Eyeshadow Trio

5. Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black

6. Kajal: Lakme Eyeconic Kajal

7. Mascara- MAC Haute and Naughty

8. Eyebrows- Oriflame Trio

CHEEKS & LIPS

1. Blush- Lakme Absolute Baked Blush- Night Sparkle

2. Lipstick- Oriflame Ruby Lipstick- Opulent Rose

Have a beautiful day!!! 

Ponds Femina Miss India Goa Paegent

The Ponds Femina Miss India 2013 City Paegent in Goa kickstarted  with 13 beautiful contestants competing to grab hold of the crown!  It was a delight to interact with renowned dermatologist Dr. Aparna Santhanam who gave valuable insights into skincare. I will definitely blog about our chat and reveal all the secrets soon!

Makeup Expert Cory Walia enlightened us with his tips and techniques on how to get glamorous eyeconic eyes! After a hectic evening of grooming, skincare, makeup and hair, the night ended at Tito's which lived up to it's expectations- great music, buzzing atmosphere and non-stop partying! ;) 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween guys!! Hope you had a spoooky night! I went to a friend's Halloween party last night, dressed as a Gothic Doll! :) The girls put in so much effort in making everything halloweeny! (Pics below!)

BOOOO!

I wore a high waisted black skirt with a sleveless collared black shirt! I couldn't think of anything else at that moment! When it was time for my makeup, I knew I could go insane on this one day! It was such a change from creating pretty beauty looks! Haha.. I had fun haphazardly applying my eye makeup, least bothered about BLENDING, BLENDING and BLENDING!! 

Here are the products I used:

1. Black Gel Eyeliner - L'Oreal 

2. Black Eyshadow- M.A.C Carbon

3. Mascara - Lakme Flutter Secrets

4. Black Lipstick- Accessorize

5. Wig- Santa Cruz, Mumbai

I literally went all out with gel eyeliner! I applied it all over my eyes with a flat synthetic brush and coated it with black eyeshadow. For my lower lashes, I did the exact same thing, but with an eyeliner brush.. I took it all the way down to intensify it! If you notice, I also put a teeny bit of gel eyeliner down the bridge of my nose to make it look even more freaky! Finished off with tons of mascara and black lipstick :D 

The other day, I picked up a black nail polish and lipstick from Accessorize but I was in such a rush that I didn't have time to apply the nail polish! :( Such a shame! Honestly, it's such a long process- looking for nail polish remover (which I always seem to misplace), grabbing some cotton, removing your previous nail polish, applying your current nail polish, letting it dry.. ughhh! it seems forever!!

Black Nail Polish + Lipstick

To completely transform my look, I put on a wig which made me look so different! I picked this up from Santa Cruz in Mumbai :) It reminded me of the wigs the Indigo air hostesses wear!

While I was at the party, one of my friends complimented my "new" haircut! Haha we all burst out laughing! Ofcourse it had to be a guy since they are quite gullible when it comes to things like these :P 

The super cool wig!!

It was a great night with lots of finger food, drinks and games! Kudos to Sysha, Archana and Prakruti for treating us to an elaborate spread of Halloween nic nacs! :)

Prakruti, Sysha, Archana

Jello Syringes

Devilled Eggs

Strawberry Ghosts & White Chocolate Eyeballs

Hummus Barf 

Oreo Spiders and Gummy Worms on Chocolate Mud

Caramel Bloodsturd

Oreo Bats

Plus, Cyclone Neelam which was to hit Chennai brought with it roaring winds, swaying trees and heavy rain! Perfect Halloween atmosphere! ;)

A night to remember!

xxx

My new look!

I don't know where the last one month flew away! It has been one hell of an eventful month!!!

1. My Birthday
2. Mesmereyes Makeup 1st Anniversary Bash (I've never been so stressed in my entire life!)
3. An exciting campaign in Mumbai (which I can't reveal now, but will definitely keep you posted!)
4. An adventurous trip to Jaipur and Delhi

Since winter has set it, I realized my hair was getting extremely dry, more than usual!! It's important to look after your hair at a time when all the moisture gets sucked out of it! So I decided to hit the salon to get a hair spa done..

The hairstylist was shocked at how dry my hair was and insisted that I get rid of my highlights because that just made things worse!! It's true.. it did look pretty bad!! She suggested a global colour that would even out my hair and make it look healthier.. black it was! I gave in almost immediately and I'm glad I did!


Here's the before and after:

Before

After

The "after" looks so prim and proper only because I had a hair spa done followed by a blow dry! haha.. I wish it were this perfect everyday...

I will be posting pics of the crazyyy fun Mesmereyes Makeup 1st Anniversary Bash soon!

Have a great week!!

Akriti
xxx

Tightlining your eyes!

The easiest trick to brighten up your eyes! Watch this super quick video to find out...

When I first learnt this technique, I just REFUSED to follow it only because of how scary it looked! After a few failed attempts, I finally got it going! Seriously, it takes less than a minute and gives amazing results!! Once you get used to it, you can actually half-close your eyes and continue tightlining!

In case your lazy/impatient/running late/have shaky hands/can't be bothered to draw a regular eyeliner, go ahead and tightline your eyes!! =) Oh, and don't forget to pair it up with mascara for oh-so-gorgeous eyes!

Happy tightlining!!

Lots of love,
Akriti
xxx

Super Cute Makeup Bag!

I'm a HUGEEEE fan of makeup/cosmetic/toiletry bags!! Whenever I go out of the country, I make it a point to pick up atleast one because there are beauuutiful ones available in the market! 

Graphic, vibrant and colourful prints are dominating our wardrobes! Why not stay in trend with toiletry/makeup bags too? This multi-coloured pouch grabbed my attention form a mile away! I just couldn't resist from buying this as soon as I entered H&M when I was in Stockholm with my Mom... I discovered that since H&M is a Swedish brand, it ought to be cheaper in Sweden but because of the higher standard of living, it's more expensive in Sweden that the rest of the world! It costed me 70 SEK (Rs.580)... For how gorgeous it is and for it's spaciousness, I think it's worth it! =)

How pretty are these butterflies!?!

They had 3 different sizes, I picked this one (the biggest) because I put a lot of unnecessary products inside just because I'm so fickle-minded! One minute I decide to wear a tangerine lipstick, and the next minute I'm flaunting my bubblegum pout!

Here's how it looks inside! 

It stores a lot of makeup!!

The inner orange lining along with the neon green plastic zip makes it uber cool to travel with! (The zip is smoooth, doesn't get stuck unlike in some bags!) The colourful butterflies make it so much more fun and exciting rather than the usual boring colour blocked makeup bags! 

That's it for now! (Thank God it's Friday)

Lotsa love,
Akriti
xxx

Get rid of dark elbows, knees and underarms!

Hello lovelies! I know a lot of us suffer from dark patches on our elbows, knees and underarms... It's a  common skin concern especially for Asian women! It can be sooo frustrating especially if you have to wear a short sleveless dress! Ughhh.

There are a number of reasons behind it:

1. Constant friction between the skin ---> which makes them very rough and dry ---> which leads to darkness
2. Overexposure to sunlight---> overproduction of melanin---> darkness
3. Heredity :(
4. Kneeling on your knees 
5. Leaning on your elbows 
6. Hygiene ---> these areas have natural skin folds which may attract dirt+dead skin+oil ---> darkness

SOLUTION:

1. Exfoliate using a body scrub
2. Home Remedy - using lemons!
3. Moisturize with a body lotion

Lemons are rich in Vitamin C and work as a natural bleaching agent which will fade out uneven and pigmented skin!

NOTE: For optimum results, you have to continuously use it on a daily basis or as often as possible, preferably after a shower so that you're squeaky clean!

METHOD:

Step 1: Squeeze a lemon into a bowl
Step 2: Soak a cotton ball into the fresh lemon juice and rub it over your knees, elbows and armpits

Let it sit for at least 25-30 mins... (I know, this can be tedious!)

Step 3: Rinse away with warm water. You can use a towel to avoid soaking yourself in water!
Step 4: Apply a body lotion to moisturize your skin and prevent it from drying. 

Remember to follow a strict moisturizing routine! One product which reallllyyyy helps to even out skin tone is the Vaseline Healthy White Skin Brightening Body Milk! Sunlight can be horrible and ruin your skin's natural lightening process which will lead to your skin being darker than it actually is! What's great is that it's packed with yogurt serum to hydrate, Vitamin B3 to lighten and triple sunscreens to protect! =)

Good luck!

Lots of lemon love,
Akriti
xxx