Have a Very Harry Christmas a.k.a Winter Favorites












To anyone who got that reference - please be my friend if you aren't already.

I've been doing a little decorating in these parts, and I thought I'd share. I love anything festive and sparkly, so this time of year is my time. The streets are lit up, Fifth Ave has all the christmas windows, there are sales EVERYWHERE and caramel lattes are a thing.
I ordered my tree off Amazon, and got these dinky little decorations from Jacks, which is like the dollar store, I guess. I'm surprised by the quality of some of the decor they have, for 99 freaking cents. One day, I will be able to afford Kurt Adler, but until then...

I've discovered so many new products this year, especially since I've moved (woot woot for consumerism and capitalism in the U-S-A) and some of them, I've been reaching for a lot.

You'll probably wonder why I have so many hair products. Well, the thing is, my hair gets very temperamental when it gets cold. It loses the frizz that humidity gives it, but sometimes it feels so dry that I wish I could put some body butter on it.

I've tried a lot (and I mean A LOT) of combinations but the one thing that has been working is anything that is sulphate and paraben free. I can see that my scalp is healthier, hair is shinier and my hairfall has reduced (it's still there, but at least it's less). And hair masks. They have been miracle workers for those days where my hair feels like hay. Now that the heating has turned on, and there is practically 0 humidity, oil massages and hair masks are the way to go.

The Hask Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner (around $4.99 each depending on where you get them) has been making all the difference in the world. It has a sweet, almost vanilla-esque scent that lingers. The shampoo does it's job but the conditioner is the star of the show. Even in the shower, after I rinse it off, I can feel the difference. Super manageable, smooth hair. I usually let my hair air dry, but now that it's getting colder, I finish up with a hair dryer so I don't catch a cold. They're the worst. I highly recommend both.

Bath and Body Works need to stop having flash sales. It's one street away from school and I have to pass it when I go to the station. I picked up some hand sanitizers (5 for $6) because Purell makes me sneeze, and I need to put sanitizer on every day cause like 99% of NYC, I use the subway. There are nasty germs on the subway. Ones that flu shots can't take care of. The Be Joyful PocketBac is my favorite - I much prefer this to the old packaging cause it's just SO DAMN CUTE.

My cuticles have been looking pretty shabby lately, and I feel like that's something that everyone forgets to take care of. No matter how much lotion or hand cream you put on, those suckers always seem to flake and look pretty gross. This Ella and Mia cuticle oil is amazing. It applies like nailpolish, which is pretty innovative. Reduces mess and fuss. And it works. It's a thick, clear oil that you can paint on and rub in (I recommend doing it post shower so it absorbs better) and makes your nails look like you actually give a shit.

Milani Matte lipsticks are life. I went to Duane Reade with a few friends and convinced one of them to buy Sangria. You can check out the post about that here. The forumlation is amazing. And when it fades through the day, it leaves a forgiving stain, instead of being patchy. I will say that it takes some getting used to at the beginning because the lipstick takes time to set and really get matte. I bought the Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Black Cherry. It is an AMAZING vampy maroon, with some deep brown undertones. I was looking for a vampy maroon that didn't have purple undertones forever, and I've been after Black Cherry for almost 2 months now. But it's ALWAYS been sold out in stores. So when I saw it restocked, I just had to. I'm one of those people that buys makeup with the intention of using it up - and I'm already almost done with Sangria, so I'm pretty proud of myself.

I've spoken about the Wet'nWild nailpolish in Disturbia too in this post, but it is an amazing, opaque color that is perfect for the holidays. Super vampy with a hint of shimmer (not glitter) which looks very put together. Also totally hides ugly cuticles.

And last but not least. I went out and bit the bullet. And bought a Bath and Body Works candle. Okay look. I've never understood why a drugstore brand needs to charge $22.50 for a candle. How good could it be? When they were on sale, I decided to get one as an end-of-semester present. And the verdict? I totally understand why they're pricey. Okay, I would never buy one full price. But. It burns so slowly, the scent fills the room in under a minute AND, it lingers. It lingers like you've used a freaking diffuser! This candle, Winter, is a beautiful blend of icy mandarin and pine - both sweet and woody at the same time, which I enjoy.

So that wraps up my post. I've left links if you want to buy anything too! I hope you like my tiny little tree as much as I do. I doubt I'll take it down till February...
Happy Holidays!

The Inappropriate Fall Color








Anyone that knows me knows that I think a good, strong berry lip is life. And during the fall, even more so. But I've discovered a color that although has nothing to do with the festive season, has been sneakily finding its way onto my face.

Lilac. I've been obsessed with two products in particular, one of them which got me started on this bandwagon. I know that purple works with my coloring well, and I was wondering, what if I went lighter? Would it still work?

And I'm happy to report that it did! The nailpolish pictured above, NYC's Lexington Lilac (how apropos seeing that I go to school off Lex) has been on my nails for the past week. I've bought NYC's nailpolishes before and I've been absolutely stunned at the quality, for the price. It's a whopping 99c and it DOES NOT BUDGE. I put a Wet'N'Wild top coat over it and it has not chipped or faded in any way. It's a nice alternative to the reds, maroons and berries that are on everyone's fingers this season. I do recommend checking out their polishes, they're amazing!

Then I quickly decided I needed to lilac myself out. I went to the Wet'N'Wild section and I've always been a fan of their matte lipsticks. Again, I'm amazed how they can deliver such quality lipsticks at that price point. I picked up the shade Ravin' Raisin and I adore it. It's the perfect everyday neutral, with a hint of lilac thrown in. The formulation is insanely creamy and although I do have to reapply it during the day, I don't mind it.

Although I will always remain loyal to my vampy berry shades, I know I'll be wearing a sneaky bit of lilac this fall too. And these two drugstore brands never fail to disappoint!

Fall in NYC + A good ol' ramble













I think it was in Anne Of Green Gables where I heard of the quote 'I'm glad I live in a world with Octobers.' Granted, October is almost over, but I loved every bit of it. Although NYC gets the color changing deal really late in comparison to anything north of us, it's still a nice, draw out fall. The air feels cleaner (this is a complete illusion, I'm sure it's just as polluted as it is every other day), but it's all crisp and cool and lovely.

I'm usually someone that HATES the cold (Chennai-ite through and through), but thankfully my body has adjusted pretty well. To the point where I find 5-10 C (I still don't understand Fahrenheit) pleasant. Thank god for that.

These pictures were taken one day after work where I had an hour before class. I work really close to Central Park so I walked down to it. Even on the way there, I could see that the leaves were still pretty green, but I decided to go anyway. I went to the duckpond and oh my Lord, it looked like a fairtytale. And it was just what I needed.

So to all of you who have asked me countless times what it's like living in NYC, I can answer that question a bit now.

It's insane. It's a crazy mix of good days, bad days, okay days and weird days. No two days will ever have you feeling the same. I'm someone that likes to spend 90% of my time in the city (I live in Queens for now) and I go there to find both inspiration and energy and peace and quiet. And the city can give you that. If Manhattan didn't have parks, I don't think I'd survive. If it didn't have parades, and art exhibits, and street performers and pop up shops, I don't think I'd survive that either.

I've been here three months now and I can safely say that even though I've valiantly tried to explore as much as I can, I think I've seen a grand total of 5% of NYC. Thankfully, I have more time left to do the other 95. There is so much to see, and it's always changing. As someone that loves being around people and good energy, it is the perfect place to be. I study fashion, so that helps too. And no, I haven't met Beyonce. Or Kendall Jenner. I have, however, seen Anna Wintour (safe to say my life was made that day).

This doesn't mean that it's a super easy place to live in, by any means. It can get a bit too much. There are people everywhere, all the time. I have a secret mental list of quiet spots that I haunt when I want to get away from it all. People can get very rude for no reason at all and you'll hear racist/sexist slurs on the subway all the time. I've (touch wood) never had anyone say anything at me, but I've witnessed some pretty bad stuff. Usually drunk people who just want to say something to be heard. But the awesome part is there's always someone that'll break it up and tell the person who's being insulted to come take their seat at the other end of the car so they don't have to listen to that crap.

This is not my first time living away from home, so luckily I didn't have issues with culture shock or adjustment. I know that there are a lot of people who get really nervous about living abroad and leaving their home country. Especially coming to NYC. Don't be! It isn't that bad, and if it is, it ALWAYS gets better. You just need to find what works for you! Be it your own little set of 'rituals', a list of your favorite haunts and of course, great friends.

The city has so much to offer, and I love my own company now. I think I tend to prefer it (at least I do), because there's a lot of NYC that you should experience alone. Book readings, museums, concerts in the park. It's taught me to be a lot more independent and value 'me-time'.

I honestly have wanted this since I was 14, and I feel like I'm living the dream at 23 (Okay, now I just feel old). New York can teach you so much, and I have so much more to learn from it!


Fall Drugstore Makeup Essentials


I cannot express to you how happy I am that I live in a place that has fall again. I remember loving this season as a kid, because of the leaves, the cold but not freezing weather, and the indoor heating. Now that I'm old(er), this is the perfect opportunity to dress like it's colder (Chennai, I love you, but I can never wear a jacket without burning up) and wear vampy lipstick all day every day. I know I've been away from the blog for so long, and I apologise (I didn't give up, I swear) but going back to school and taking exams after a year takes some getting used to.

Anyway, now that I have a Walgreens loyalty card, that gives me wonderful access to the best deals a s***load of excuses to buy things for my fall face.

So, let's get into it.







Base: Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in Honey Beige

I could do a whole other blog post, raving about how brilliant this is, but I think I will contain myself. For a girl who has never worn foundation, I was on the fence about even getting one. I wanted something with light-medium coverage as my skin has been behaving this year *hopes to God I don't jinx it*. I've heard brilliant things about this foundation, and decided to try it out. They have two formulas - A dewy smooth one and a matte finish one. I decided to go for the dewy one because I figured I could always set it with powder if I wanted to mattify it a bit. I started using this really carefully (I despise anything heavy feeling on my face) and a tiny bit goes a long way. I literally use a blob as big as half my pinky nail and sheer it out over my skin. And it does a brilliant job of giving me this even, glowy base which looks natural as hell. No brush required, it goes on well with your fingers.


Lips: Milani Matte Lipstick in Sangria

I own two families of lipsticks. Reds and wines. I have one pink one which only gets pulled out if I'm wearing this particular saree (no joke). On a student budget, I feel like spending $17 on a MAC lipstick is quite atrocious. I started looking at lipsticks that were just as good in the long wearing matte department and I was disappointed again, and again and again. It was like going on a string of terrible blind dates (as I said before, the US drugstore for some perfectly good reason that I'm sure they have, does not let you test products before you buy them). And then, this Milani lipstick happened. It is the most brilliant reddish wine ever. Such a good formula as well and very easy to apply. It lasts me through two 'eating sessions' without a single touch up. It's also very forgiving and doesn't cling to any dry patches. Although I would always advise a lip scrub before any dark lipstick. Will definitely be trying out more from this line.

Elf Studio Blush in Gotta Glow

So with the whole strobing trend going on, I realized I had to jump on  the bandwagon before I turned eighty. I walked into the Elf Studio here in the city and hand a browse around. I have never seen so much cheap makeup, so well organised, in one place. Mind = blown. I picked this up because it was a hefty $3, and it swatched beautifully. I use this on my cheekbones, my browbone and down the center of my nose if I'm going out somewhere special which is usually my 6:30 class. It's also a dupe for NARS Albatross which has a shameful $30. Yes, 10 times the cost. And this one does just as good a job as a highlighter, I'm sure. It really gives you that glow even if you're running on two hours of sleep and lots of coffee.

Elf Studio Long Lasting Eyeshadow in Gala

When I was having a browse in Sephora, looking wistfully at the $30 shampoos and the $40 tweezers, I came across this beautiful brown sparkly eyeshadow from the Sephora own line. It was around $14, and I realized that nothing I said or did would justify that purchase to my bank account or my soul. At the Elf Studio, there were these weird, cushiony, creamy shadow pigment hybrids on display. When I swatched Gala, it reminded me of that Sephora shadow and I put it in my basket without a second thought. It's a brilliant color, I use it as both a base and a wash of color by itself. There's a little bit of fallout but it stays in the eye area so it isn't so bad. I can see myself wearing this a lot in the holidays.

So there you have it, my fall face. I pop on a bit of liner and mascara, but these are the products I've been using pretty much every time I need to look adult and act adult.
Happy Weekend!

Fall Scent Additions - The Body Shop

 When the seasons change, I feel like the kinds of perfume and bodywash I use also tend to change along with it. I love my fruity florals, but in the fall I prefer something a little more fresh, spicy and light. If that makes any sense.

I feel like The Body Shop nails scents in some areas. They don't smell essence-y and are really natural and 'unedited'. There aren't impossible mixes like sweater-weather-marshmallow-pumkin-latte-cinnamon-dreams *cough-splutter-bathandbody*.

Here are some recent additions to my 'scent wardrobe' if you will.
Also, I just learned that L'oreal owns TBS and that's why they have French translations.







1. Body Shop Shower Gel in Smoky Poppy
    When this line came out, I was curious as to whether the scent would be manly, womanly or both. I'd definitely say both. It's got spicy undertones but a subtle sweetness that makes it just right. The gel is actually black which makes lil old me VERY happy. I live with guys so I will be sure to keep this in my room so that I don't wake it to it completely over one day.

2. Body Shop Shower Gel in Blueberry
    This is one of those 'good enough to eat' scents. Loads of brands do berry inspired scents (Bath and Body, Victoria's Secret) but they come off as synthetic to me. This literally smells like the fruit. You can even smell the tartness, you know? It's brilliant and definitely not an overpowering or clawing scent.

3. Fragrance mist in Fijian Water Lotus
    This rave could be long so grab yourself a cup of tea.
 Back when I was home, a couple of years ago, I bought (okay, my Mom bought) this perfume from them called Aqua Lily. It was one of the nicest, freshest scent's I'd ever had the pleasure of smelling so of course, I stole it.
It got discontinued so I decided to move on. And I thought I'd never find a scent like that again.
Until now.
I was at the store here in Manhattan and I showed the lady at the counter my empty perfume bottle and asked her if they had anything similar. She herded me towards the Body Mists and told me to check out the Fijian Water Lotus one. I didn't have high expectations but I thought I'd give it a shot. And oh my god. It is amazing. If you're into fresh, ocean-like, sweet but sharp scents, this is the one for you. The price point is insane for the amount of silage is has. It stays on ALL DAY. I've always thought The Body Shop fragrance mists are underrated as they fare just as well as an eau de parfum in terms of staying power. And they're also 1/4th the price. This is going to be my go-to scent this fall and winter till I can find afford to supplement it with another one.


What are your favorite scents from TBS?

   

Drugstore Haul & Review











The moment I got my acceptance letter this was my thought process:
1. I have brought honor to my family.
2. I can now shop at the drugstore.
3. I CAN NOW SHOP AT THE DRUGSTORE.
4. TGYUIOPIGFGYUIUYTRE5Y7DRUGSTORE

I have spent many a day envying the American beauty community who has access to a wider range of Maybelline/Revlon/Rimmel than I do in India and who have Elf/Wet n Wild/NYC at their disposal.

This is why I decided to move to New York for grad school.

(ONLY JOKING PARENTS)

This is a result of a month of small sneaky purchases and the combined cost of all that doesn't even cross $20.

1. Wet n Wild Megaplump Mascara
     This was probably the first thing that I bought from the drugstore. I was in desperate need of a mascara and my Million Lashes dried up on me. I did a big of in-store research and saw that this wand gives you a pretty similar effect. The formulation is a little too wet for me, but it's a great one for daytime.

2. Elf Volumizing Mascara
    Elf products are notorious for being either brilliant or completely awful. After the average performance of the Wet N Wild mascara, I took a gamble and bought this. I LOVE it. It goes on so easily and two coats gives me exactly what my Million Lashes used to. Stays on all day, as well. And I think the packaging is great too!

3. Wet n Wild Megalast nailpolish in Disturbia
    This is by far my favorite purple nailpolish. Ever. I've been on the hunt for a nice vampy dark purple without sparkles for years now. This has done it. The brush is also one of them fancy ergonomic ones that fit your nail perfectly. I think it works well for everything except my pinky cause it's tiny. I just end up using the brush on its side.

4. Wet n Wild Topcoat
     I picked this up along with the nailpolish cause well, dark colors chip and leave you looking like a preteen that bites your nails for fun. I wouldn't say I'm a fan because my nails gave me two days grace then started chipping. Why. Topcoat, you had one job...

5. Elf Flawless eye shadow palette in Tantalizing Taupe
    I'm all about the neutral palettes. I have a few of them now, and I think they're great for stashing in your purse. These four shades are nice, pigmented, buttery taupe shades. They're quite satiny (I expected them to be more matte) but I'm happy with them all the same. I love using the darkest shade in my crease - really adds depth and takes my usual gold day-eye to a night time vibe.

6. Burt's Bees Vanilla Lipbalm
    This stuff is an American cult favorite so when I saw it on a discount, I just grabbed it. I love it.

7. Wet n Wild lipsticks in Vamp it Up and Spotlight Red
    These lipsticks were impulse purchases. I was looking for some fall appropriate lipsticks and I picked these two up. I really Like Spotlight Red - it's a nice cool toned red. I'm still debating on whether to drop the $20 on Ruby Woo. But I think as this isn't AS nice, I may just have to. Vamp it up is a straight up purple. Not for the faint hearted. I love it stained out a bit (I am not brave enough to slap it on directly:P). The formulas of both these lipsticks are really good, I'd recommend buying them if you're looking for a quick budget matte lipstick.

On a side note, the atmosphere in the city here is brilliant. It's almost fall, it's Fashion Week and there's a nice drop in temperature. I am going to have the nicest, laziest Sunday tomorrow and probably have a wander around the city. Happy Fashion Week, guys!
    



Bag Lovin'

Long time no see! I am so sorry for the delay in posts - I've been getting into the whole 'back to school' rhythm. Classes at night are something extremely new for me, so I've been trying to find some sort of schedule that works (I haven't been successful so far). Sigh.

Anyway.

I've been thinking about buying a shopper/tote style bag for a while now. I wanted something that would hold my textbooks/notebooks/laptop and all the other fun stuff that comes with grad school and not look bulky or overloaded (my textbooks weigh about one ton each).

I was browsing the internet and looking at what people usually carry to school and the whole shopper-tote style seemed the most popular. I narrowed it down to two brands that I could 1. Afford and was still 2. Fashionable. Nine West and Kenneth Cole do a really god job of making designer bags that don't break the bank. I was going to buy the bag on Amazon but I feel like you can get a much better idea of the size when you're in the store, even if you can do the whole free returns thing. 

I bought this beauty at Strawberry which is a retail outlet in the city. They have a lot of amazing products (especially designer) at ridiculous prices. When I saw this, and the price, I bought it and ran out of the store. I kid you not.

This is the Kenneth Cole Reaction 'Foxy' Two-tone Shopper. I absolutely adore this bag. It fits everything that I need and still retains its shape. I went with the black because well, I have no imagination, and I thought the white striped detailing looked brilliant. They had this in a couple of other solid colors but this one really did it for me. I also love the chain detailing on the front.





Bag - Kenneth Cole - $39.99
High waist trousers - Mango
Tank top - H&M - $5.00


Look sharp, wear flats.







As I mentioned in my previous post, I have moved to NYC. Anyone who lives in the city, or knows what it's like, knows that unless you're fancy enough to have a town car or your own car, the subway is the most economical and quick way to get around.

However, unless you're superbly lucky, chances are, the subway isn't going to spit you out right below your office building. So this means you've got walking to do.


I've been here a week and a half, and I can count the number of people I have seen wear heels on one hand. Everyone else just walks around in flats. The thing is, whether you're working or in school, you want to be able to tie your outfit together with nice shoes. Heels are the easiest way to look put together, but if you've got a long way to walk or simply do not get on with heels, I suggest looking for some nice flat options.

This is a little capsule shoe-drobe, if you will. The easiest way to look professional and wear flats is to gravitate to a ballerina style shoe. They're extremely easy to style, but I feel like you can get stuck in a rut by only buying them, even if they're in different colors. So here is what I like to wear to ensure my footsies are comfies.



I've been on the hunt for brown flats for almost two years now. I wanted something durable, but still chic. These fit the bill perfectly. They're also extremely versatile; I wear them with just about anything. I also love the metallic detailing between the joints.



These were an absolute bargain from Jabong. I wanted a pair of dressy work shoes that weren't ballet flats. Moccasins are a brilliant alternative. These are from Carlton London, which are a great brand for work shoes.



I am throwing in a pair of ballet flats, but these aren't your traditional ones. There's been this huge cat flats trend, and I found these in Westside. I THINK they're pigs, but I'm not entirely sure. They're probably the most comfortable pairs of shoes that I own.



And these are my babies. My blue suede brogues from Forever 21. I would definitely recommend buying a pair of casual brogues if you're on the fence with the sneaker trend, but still want something heavier than sandals. You can get them in a more neutral color if you're into that, but you'll find that they open up your wardrobe to a whole new dimension!

What kinds of shoes do you guys like to wear?

I moved!

I'm pretty sure most of you who read my blog know me in real life, so it will come as no surprise to you guys that I moved last week.
To NYC. For grad school.
It still hasn't hit me yet.

I just wanted to tell you guys that I will never ever stop blogging. And that if anything, I will only post more. I know a lot of people (including me) are always looking for information/survival tips on living and working in NYC. And in the course of the next year, I hope to be able to post a lot about it, maybe to help other people who want to move to the city for work, studying, or just because they want to.

I also now have access to Duane Reade, CVS, Ulta, Walgreens and Target. Which means I'm really going to be testing myself and my budget. Sigh.

Anyway, just a quick life update.
Here are some pictures that I've taken over the past few days. Also, please follow my Instagram @seriouslynoir for more pictures!


Outside the Barclays Center. I adore how wide the roads are.

The Verrazano Bridge. This was such a nice walk.

Spot the famous building.

The best sorbet/ice cream combination ever in Chelsea Market

Of course I went to Times Square.

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