Quest for the Perfect Pedicure!!

Once you've seen or experienced better things, you cannot come back and be happy with the usual stuff. This is exactly what happened to me after spending few years in Land of Perfection- Japan and Beauty Conscious Singapore.

I love my feet as much as I love my face... a little more maybe ;)

Pedicure is one of my favorite beauty ritual done every 15-20 days. Moving back to Mumbai a little more than a year ago, I started on with my quest to find a place where i can go for my pedicure ritual. I tried almost every possible place- big to small, home service to the biggest salon brands and every time I think  the things are going on perfectly and this could be the go to pedicure place I am looking for... in comes a blunder. And more often than not it would be not applying the base coat while putting on the nail paint... (my pet peeve when it comes to pedicure) and I am back to square one making a note of not going back for pedicure. Another thing that bugs me is when the technicians/ therapists do not understand the difference between a transparent nail paint and a base coat. 

So, coming to the point... I went to BBlunt, RCity Mall, Ghatkoper for threading (Yes... that's where I go to from Powai to get my eyebrows shaped and their Therapist Manju does a fab job every time) and I decided to try their regular pedicure... hoping to get the service I was looking for. 

BBlunt is a well known brand for hair services. I am a regular with them for haircut as well.

Manju took me to their pedicure station and started with the service... Foot salt soak instead of a regular shampoo/ cleanser soak, nail paint removed and cuticles were tended to without cutting off the skin along... the feet were scrubbed to smoothest possible without a hint of dead skin remaining... believe me I've had problem here as well. the heels would be scrubbed for the sake of it and just a day later you can see the dead skin buildup. After finishing off with the foot scrub, followed by a massage, the feet were washed again to take of the remains of the cream. This was the first time I had anybody doing this in Mumbai... usually your feet are just wiped with the towel and that's also not done most of the time unless you instruct them to do so. Again I had my hopes soaring high and I waited for the next step...

I was asked to select the nail paint from a decent collection of more than 30 colours...(10-15 is the usual number that I have seen in most places) and in the meanwhile Manju started on with the base coat application on nails... I mean really? Getting a coat of base coat without asking for it and without listening to why it is not required with the particular nail paint I had chosen (Kidding me... are you??)... I was elated and then she went on with the nail paint and finished off with the top coat. She gave me open toed spa slippers to wear while my nail paint dries and I moved on for getting my eyebrows done... all the while in 7th heaven, blissful and delighted with the pedicure that I had just been through.

Along with that, don't get surprised if I tell you that I found my almost perfect Red nail paint there (if you don't know what I am talking about... read here). The shade is Nubar 181 Fire Sparkle... 

If you talk about the price, I would say it was decently priced at Rs.850/-. The products used were BCL Spa Organic range.

They also have a BBlunt Signature Pedicure, where they use all Dermalogica products priced at Rs.1500/- I am definitely going to try that out as well.

So it looks like I have found my go to place for pedicure... What are your expectations from your pedicure?? Share in comments.

Signing off for now!

Review- Mink Laundry Service

You all must be wondering if I am out of my mind to review a laundry service here on this beauty and makeup blog!

But considering myself as an Image Consultant, where I help people to select, maintain and keep their clothes in a good condition, Laundry services become an important part of your wardrobe upkeep and now-a-days, most of us prefer to go to a professional laundry service for maintenance of our clothes on which we have spend a good amount of our income.

Apart from the usual outfits and clothes, there are some clothes or accessories that can't be washed or cleaned at home and we need specialists for them. These could be your embroidered or embellished clothes, delicate silks, formal shirts, leather/ suede handbags or probably your shoes.

So to tell you how this all started, I was approached by Ashish, who along with his two partners has come up with a laundry startup and I was so looking forward to such a service. They had their launch offer "5 Clothes on Us!!". That sounded wonderful and so I decided to go ahead trusting them with 5 of our (mine and hubby's) clothes.

Since I was more keen on testing out their service rather than just using up the exciting offer, I decided to give them 5 different types of clothes that require different expertise.

Also, they promise an unmatched service, which makes the offer even more interesting and exciting.

So, I took couple of days to sort my clothes. To try out the services and efficiency, I decided to give five different garments- a stone work and embroidered kurta, a silk sari, a jeans, a formal trousers and a formal shirt (last two being hubby's). 

All these will require different set of procedure for laundry and care. Also the final presentation of each piece would be different. After I was ready with my cothes, I decided to place the order. So I opened their website http://mink.co.in/ and got my order scheduled for pick up.

Within 10 minutes I received a call to confirm that their pickup personnel will be at my door step within 15 minutes... That sounded quick!!

So I was waiting, eyes glued to the clock and tadaaa... in 10 minutes bell rang and I saw a gentleman in crisp white shirt and blue jeans and introduced himself as Rohit from Mink and was there to collect my order. I was impressed with the dressing and appearance of this gentleman, I mean how many times have you seen a laundry pick up guy dressed in Smart Casual?? He was carrying a non woven fibre bag to collect the clothes and told me about the quick check in process. 

The "MINK" Laundry Bag

This would mean that they'll just mention the number of clothes collected on a receipt and take our signature and once in office, they would connect with the client over e-mail or whatsapp to inform about the condition of clothes received. Also, being knowledgeable in textiles and laundry process, I asked Rohit if he would like me to give a brief as to what has to be done with every garment but he sounded quite confident about the textile experts at MINK who'll know what to do. So, I decided to zip my mouth and let them figure out. Rohit left promising the delivery within 2 days. 

In sometime, I received a whatsapp message regarding some damage on the embroidered kurta and I was asked if they should proceed further. I gave them a thumbs up!

The next evening, I get a text that my clothes are ready to be delivered and confirming the time of delivery. I told them to come the following day.

On Tuesday evening, Ashish came carrying a paper bag (again dressed in Smart Casuals)... Each garment was individually packed- kurta and shirt in a paper bag with all the packing material and as good as new. The jeans, trousers and sari were folded well and were packed in a non woven fabric bag. I was greatly impressed. The clothes were looking as good as new and I am still not willing to open them up.

Definitely, I would rate them as Outstanding in their service ranging from-

• The ease of scheduling the pick up, 
• The customer interaction with pick up and delivery personnel, their attitude and presentation, 
• Quick check in process
• Update on the status of clothes received
• Presentation of the clothes received

The prices are comparable to the other similar services but definitely the experience is unmatched. I could trust them with my clothes and would definitely be seeing them more often.

OFFER FOR READERS
Are you all interested in trying out their services or want to make your clothes as good as new... Give your clothes a makeover with the special offer only for readers of my blog. Mention the code MAKEOVER while placing your order and get three of your clothes done complimentary by MINK. For the time being, MINK offers services in and around Powai and Andheri but will be taking over Mumbai in no time.

Share your experience with laundry services that you've availed so far and also what are your expectations from MINK in comments...

Place your orders by visiting http://mink.co.in/ or WhatsApp/SMS/Call 808080-2442 and don't forget to use MAKEOVER!!

Something more exciting coming up soon for you all... so stay tuned!

Signing off

Review: Aplava

Being a part of Blogger's network at Sheroes has its advantages. Being a beauty blogger, I received a call from Srishti that whether I would be interested in doing a review for Aplava.com, an online beauty store. Why would any beauty blogger in sane mind would refuse the offer... and I was no different.

About Aplava

"Aplava derives its name from sanskrit origins. Aplava (pronounced “AAp luv” in original sanskrit) means taking a bath to purify oneself. It’s an ablution process of cleansing oneself." 

(Source: http://www.aplava.com/)

They want to give the customers an experience of divine purity and a beautiful self.

They are a startup and the website looks pretty inviting. They have an assortment of prestigious brands, niche and cult brands as well as household names under various categories like  Skincare, makeup, wellness, fragrance, travel, intimacy etc for men and women; bath and body and diapering for babies; room fragrance, candles etc. under home and gifting options too.

The website is easy to navigate and use and the best part is since they deal directly with manufacturers or authorized distributors, there are hardly any chances of getting a duplicate/fake product.

Also, you can determine your beauty score on the site by answering questions about your skin, hair etc. This will be used to recommend a skin care routine for you as well as the products.

Aplava Website

Package & Delivery

So the package was shipped on 23rd July and was received on 27th July and it was packed in a cardboard box. All the products were individually bubble wrapped.

Products

Now comes the best part, which am sure you all must be waiting for... What did I get in that box??

Let me show you first, before talking about them...

So, in all I got 4 products, 2 samples and a discount card. Let's start with the products first-

1. Natio Ageless Dual Action Cleanser and Exfoliator- Natio is an Australian company manufacturing skincare, makeup and cosmetics based on the principles of Aromatherapy using organic essential oil. The Dual Action Cleanser and Exfoliator contain organic rosehip and orange extracts with microfine exfoliating beads. It has a creamy texture and the exfoliating beads are really fine which help to take off the dead skin layer and reveal a fresh skin underneath. It is a gentle exfoliator with a pleasant fragrance. (Price of 75g tube- Rs. 1010/-)

2. Street Wear Ultramoist Lipstick- It contains mega moisturizers to seal in moisture and colour. I got the shade 25- Pink Persuasion, which is a peachy pink colour and one of those colours which go well with my skin tone. 24 shades are available in this range from berries to red, from brown to nudes and from pink to peaches. Price- Rs.220/-

3. Lakme Enrich Satin Lipcolour- This contain Vitamin E and Olive oil to nourish and moisturize lips combined with intense colours. It has around 15 shades, I got shade P169 which is a rich bubble gum pink, another favorite colour...Price- Rs.240/-

4. TRESemme Hair Fall Defence Conditioner- Tresemme has hair care products of professional category. The shampoo and conditioners are usually good and suit my hair. Although haven't used this one yet but hoping for good results from this one too.

Price- Rs. 79/- for 90ml

Apart of these products, I received two samples from REPECHAGE- a face wash and day cream. looking forward to trying them too. 

Aplava founders were kind enough to share a discount card as well, which I am going to use in my next shopping from Aplava.

If you are looking for some great discounts from Aplava, don't forget to sign up on Sheroes to get some amazing discounts. 

Sheroes is a career destination for women professionals and also is a gateway to finest opportunities, resources and conversations. I am happy to be associated as a Blogger on Sheroes.

Enjoy your shopping and Discounts from Sheroes and Aplava... and do share your experience in the comments

Signing off for now

Foot prints on the Web- Interview with Smart Indian Women

Smart Indian Women (http://www.smartindianwomen.com/) is a website dedicated to the modern Indian Woman, who is strong, independent, traditional, modern, beautiful, an entrepreneur, a homemaker and a mother.

They wanted to feature me as a blogger on their website and hence this interview. To describe the concept of Smart Indian Women

"“Smart Indian Women” is the identity of every woman who is strong, independent and who completes the world with a single smile. The idea behind establishing this website is to give a platform to all the beautiful women out there who wish to show the world, how different and how creative they are. Successful homemakers and amazing entrepreneurs who can set a trend with their art and creativity can find a great way to share their talent with the world. You create the idea and we give you a chance to share it with other creative ladies out there. From writing to sharing handicraft ideas, beauty secrets and a lot more is available on our website."

Sharing some bits of conversation here

Thanks for taking the time to chat with SIW. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog.     

Neha : I am Neha Suradkar, A Makeup Artist, a Style Coach, an Etiquette Trainer and a Fashion Educator with an experience of almost 8 years in the fields of Fashion Design Teaching and Research, Personal Style Consulting, Makeup, Styling and Trainings. I am the Founder and Director of Mirror Image & Style Pvt. Ltd. founded in April 2013.

I have a passion for writing and was actively involved in research and writing during my stint as an Associate Professor (Fashion & Apparel Design). I started my blog Mom- the Diva while in Singapore, and now am back in Mumbai, I am working on my new blog Makeup & Makeover with Neha. The blog was started in January 2015 and is all about beauty, style, makeup, wellness, makeup products, tutorials, reviews, dressing up, makeovers, giveaways etc.

What makes your blog so unique and why should people read it?          

Neha : The uniqueness of my blog lies in the fact that all the information is coming out from an expert in the field and is based on personal experience and experience of my clients as well.

How often do you blog?              

Neha : Now due to my work, the blogging schedule is quite erratic but I am trying to put things in place and get my time table done to post at least 3-4 times a week

For the complete interview follow the link
http://www.smartindianwomen.com/an-interview-with-blogger-neha-suradkar-of-makeup-makeover-with-neha/

Hope you enjoy reading... Share your views in comments

Signing off for now

Mirror Image & Style and JORD Women's Day Giveaway!!

Helloooo
As promised, here we are with our first and much awaited giveaway...

Jord (Read about them here) is giving away a Gift Certificate of US$ 139.00 (approx. INR 8600/-) and free shipping which you can redeem to get your favorite JORD WOOD WATCH (Check the complete collection at http://www.woodwatches.com/shop

Excited...???
Let me Just put down the rules and you are ready to participate

Terms & Conditions
1. Open to all Women residents of India.
2. The giveaway will accept entries from 26th Feb 2015 08.00 AM to 6th March 2015 11.59 PM.
3. The winner will be declared on 8th March 2015 and will be notified on e-mail.
4. No response from the winner within 48 hours will lead to picking up a new winner.
5. Please provide the e-mail id which you check frequently to receive the winning notification.

So... What are you waiting for?? Go ahead and start entering!!

Mirror Image & Style Women's Day Giveaway

Feature and Review- JORD WATCHES (Sully Black & Maple)

Hey Lovely Gurlz,

You know what...?? I got something interesting for you all today! How many of you love adorning accessories made of wood or wooden beads. I am sure a lot of us love to put them on with our casuals or beach wear for that bohochic look.

To add to the list of our beautiful wooden necklaces, bracelets and earrings; how about Wooden Watches??? Yes, you got it right... WOODEN WATCHES!!

When JORD approached me for featuring their wood watches on my blog, I couldn't refuse and almost instantly I could feel that how wonderfully these wooden watches fit in our Indian/ Indo-Western/ Western wardrobe.

Let's Talk About JORD...

JORD (Swedish) means earth, soil, land.

"Jord was derived from our desire for a timepiece that modeled our modern lifestyle. Sustainable, efficient, simple, and influenced by experiential living. Jord owners don't just have somewhere to be, they have somewhere to go. We believe our watches tell more than time."

Talking about their creation, JORD says, "Our style is guided by a deep appreciation for natural elements and modern design. Wood is not just a component of our watches, it is the main feature. The intricacy and multiplicity of the woods we utilize in our designs insure that each watch is as distinctive as the owner."

Construction of JORD watches in their own words- "Jord is a collective of artists, designers, and seasoned watchsmiths. Every watch series is planned with the expectation of delivering visible craftsmanship and unyielding utility. We choose our materials and movements with forethought. Consideration of best use and added benefit are central to our decision making process. Are methods ensure that our watches are not just worn, they're used."

You may check out all wood watches from Jord at http://www.woodwatches.com/

So, once I agreed to feature these watches, Paul, the Marketing Manager of Jord was sweet enough to let me select my preferred watch from these 

I picked Sully- Black & Maple reason being dual tone and attractive dial as compared to simpler Fieldcrest and Ely. Then started the waiting process... waiting for the shipment to come all the way from The U.S.A.

To my surprize, the wait was not so long and in less than 15 days... I received the parcel and couldn't be patient any more to see the much awaited JORD WOOD WATCH. 

Believe me, the watch looked the same... as elegant and smart as in the picture and I must say, I was reallllly impressed. Don't believe me... have a look at my very own Sully

These are some pretty and chic watches, which look amazing with your formal or semi formal work wear...

or your casual weekend wear specially if you team it up with few more bracelets for a bohochic look...

To tell you about how the watch feels... it's super light (which was a surprise for me considering it's made of wood). The dial has wooden texture, which looks pretty and you know what I can't help but show off my Jord Sully

I know my smile says it all... how happy I feel receiving this beautiful gift from Jord. Can't thank Paul enough for the opportunity to associate with Jord. Thank you so much Paul!!

Now Now... don't get jealous, while gifting this watch, Jord and Paul did not forget my wonderful readers... there is something coming up for you all soon... So keep reading....

In the meanwhile, you can all tell me what do you think about wood watches in your comments below... Who knows you might get one for yourself!!

Signing off for now

P.S.: Another person I would like to thank for helping me bring together this post is my wonderful friend and photographer Pallavi Das from The J-peg Factory, who patiently clicked all the pictures for this post. Thank you Pallavi :*)

Color of the Year- 2015

Sorry people for the late post... this post was due since long and before we move any further into 2015... this deserves to be posted... So here we go...

In the last week of December 2014, Pantone declared the 'Color of the Year' for 2015. Pantone is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of color across a variety of industries. The PANTONE® name is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.

Every year, Pantone announces the Color of the year, which then becomes the sought after color in that year and most of the color trends- fashion, beauty, make up, interiors revolve around that color both in Spring and Fall.

In 2014, the Color of the Year was Radiant Orchid and the Color of the Year before that were

And the Color of the Year 2015 is.... MARSALA, a naturally robust and earthy wine red. 

"While PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid, the captivating 2014 color of the year, encouraged creativity and innovation, Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. 

"Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors."

(Source: http://www.pantone.com/)

Marsala in Fashion & Beauty

"The impactful, full-bodied qualities of Marsala make for an elegant statement color when the color is used on its own or as a compelling accent when paired with many other colors."

"An incredibly versatile color for beauty, Marsala is an appealing and sophisticated shade that’s flattering against many skin tones."

My Take on the Color of the Year 2015

A beautiful colour, intense and goes with different families of color from neutrals to metallics to blues and greens, oranges and yellow... WOW.

A wonderful color for fashion and makeup- who won't like the wine red lips or nails or a dress that goes well for both day and night wear, and can take you from work to play!

Those who do not like wearing true red for any reason will find a way to wear red with this color. Marsala is a pretty color for most of the Indian skin tones and the best part is that it can be worn easily by both men and women.

In love with this color already... looking forward to working with Marsala (the color... not the wine!! *wink* *wink*) this year!!

How do you feel about Marsala? Would you like to have it in your wardrobe or makeup?? Do leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Signing off for now