TRAVEL LOG│HAUL SHOPPING

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hello my lovelies! I came back from my trip and after relaxing way too long I think I have my peace of mind and can finally write this post calmly (just kidding, I am hyperactively jumping on my seat with excitement right now).  This is my happy place and I missed it while I was out and my God, even the camels now know how many times I whined that there is no cyber café here and that this place needs to have an internet zone more than tourists. But that was that…I won’t say a word extra now.

When I was going through the shopping bags, I was (happily) surprised when I saw that I had done a lot of haul shopping even though I vowed before leaving home that I would not spend a dime on anything useless…but oh well, these things now a part of my life. Since I bought a bunch of things, I am going to cut the crap and directly talk about them. So…let’s start!

Claire’s Makeup brushes

I was dying to have a better set of makeup brush for a while now. I previously ordered Bonjour Paris brushes online and I was disappointed by what I got so I thought it was better if I wait than again buy online and be disheartened for paying for hard bristles in the name of makeup brushes. I found Claire’s makeup brushes in the mall and I was beyond happy when I saw them *squeals excitedly*. They have soft bristles that make applying makeup really easy. The set comes with five brushes that are powder/blush brush, foundation brush, shadow brush, liner brush and an eyebrow brush (you can read about the types of makeup brushes here). The powder brush is my favorite so far and I use it regularly. I also love the liner brush because it makes the application super smooth. These brushes are what I would definitely take with me the next time I travel because they come in a transparent pouch that can easily be sealed and is handy.

The set comes in a range of 550 INR.

Nail Paints

I think I am total a sucker for nail paints that I always splash on them like crazy. I found nice neon colors (no, they do not glow at night) and I could not control myself from buying them. All these colors have become my favorite. They are by Color Effect and come as cheap as 20 INR a bottle (Talk about cheap, eh? You can read Cheap Nail Polish Love here). Out of these four colors only one had the color code sticker (sadly!) which is the brown shade and comes in code 104. The rest are a neon green, a neon orange and a silvery grey shade. They flow like liquid so it is easy to apply them and after two coats you have a perfect shade. They stick for a pretty long while and do not chip off. I love all the four and now sitting here as I write I wish I could have bought more of them. They bottles, even though they are cheap, make me feel good every time I look at them.

Nail Polish Remover

This is what I think the Universe brought to me because the other day I was thinking of having this particular nail polish remover and now it is on my dressing table. I do not know the particular name for this but I can only explain you what I see (sorry!). This comes in a transparent plastic bottle with a screw cap; it has sponge that is soaked by nail polish remover. All you have to do is insert your finger in it and circle it left and right, and voila! Your nail polish is gone! This consumes less than no time and the plus time is that you can save all your cotton buds for your tonner because this one does not need it. What I really loved is that you don't have to continuously rub your nails with thinner and still cry when the polish near the cuticle just won't go...it actually wipes the polish all at once. It is manufactured by 7 heaven and  I have this in green apple fragrance but it comes in two more fragrances for you to choose from. This bottle would cost you 100 INR.

Hilray Rhoda Eyeshadow Palette 

This palette has officially become my favorite. It is very light weight and pretty. I know this is a cheap comparison but when I saw the colors I could not help but think that this was very much similar to the Urban Decay Eyeshadow palette. The colors have a little shimmer in them and blend really well. The package comes with two good quality applicator sticks which I think is really thoughtful of them. The Hilray Rhoda eyeshadow palette comes is code 1 and code 2 and 12 shades. I have code 2 palette and the colors that come in it are (from left) brown (the one I use the most), turquoise, pink, golden (this gives the perfect nude look), green, dark green, sandy, red, baby pink, purple, tomato red and grey (sort of). All the colors are good for daily use as well. But if only this palette had a black for the khol effect! Nonetheless, for as less 300 INR this palette is a like elixir to thirsty. I am surprised how such a good product is available in throwaway prices.

Lipstick

Okay, this is like the ultimate thing and I just love myself for buying these two shades. The first is the Steel Paris pink lip crayon. It is gorgeous, not exactly matte and not exactly gloss. It moisturizes the lips and stays for a while and gives you a beautiful pink shade that would very well go with a simple college look. It does not stay much longer and that is they only con it has. The second is the A.D.S color cosmetics lipstick in red shade and every time I look at it, it reminds me of the 90's lipsticks. This one has a capacity of staying a good two hours. One coat and you have cherry red lip.

The Steel Paris lip crayon comes in the range of 100 INR whereas the A.D.S color lipstick costs 70 INR (real value for money, eh?)

This is all for today, I hope you enjoyed this post.

Cheers xx

-a

This Month's Recommendation!

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hello my lovelies! I have decided that in the beginning of every month I would give you my take on the product that I wish recommend. Since I was travelling and returned from my trip a day before, I think I am forgiven for posting this on the 5th, right? It is just the beginning of the month anyway. 

Alright, so by the end of the month (somewhere on 20th October) I bought the Lotus Herbals White Glow Day and Night pack that comes with a day cream, a night pack and a facial foam wash. My boss recommended the night cream to me saying it did wonders to his skin, and there was no kidding because it was showing. I was so motivated that I went to the store a day after and bought a whole pack (note: it is on a special offer so maybe you want to buy it before they sold old). My fingers were itching to write this post just a day after but I refrained myself from doing so and said that I would use this product for at least 10 days before jumping onto a conclusion. So...let's us! 

I going to first talk about the packaging. It was beautifully done and the creams were orderly placed in an impressive packing. It was very handy and light-weight and you can easily carry it. Also, it comes wrapped in a thin plastic sheet and I could not help but think what a wonderful gift it would make. Both these bottles come in a cute silver tub like small bottles and the foam face wash comes in your regular plastic tube with a silver flip cap to match with them theme of the bottles. This is actually a pretty combination and is now gracing my makeup box.

I have already told you that it contains two creams and a foam wash. I will talk about the night cream first because it is my 

favorite and the first product I used (I bought this pack in the evening). The night cream is a miracle in its own little way and the number one reason why it is what I will pick over my brother (sorry Ayush!) is that it makes my skin a. soft and b. bouncy. It is very light weight and non greasy. It moisturizes the skin really well. However, I did not feel my skin tone getting any lighter (but I hadn't bought it as a fairness enhancer anyway), so all those who though it would make your tone light, sorry but it would not. It would not lighten any marks as well; in simple words it is the best night cream that hydrates and softens your skin. Also, I used to have a ton of tiny blackheads on my nose, however, now two days after using this I can bet you wouldn’t be able to spot any (unless you are using a magnifying glass...or looking way too closely). It comes in a 60g bottle and would last longer than a month. It would individually cost you 375 INR. 

The next is the day cream that comes in this day and night pack. This is a gel based cream that smoothly glides and is easily absorbed by the skin. It is a very light cream that would not lead to any breakout (I swear, take my word). So me, being such an oily skin myself use this and am smiling with a happy face. It is perfect to put on before going to the office or college; it has an amazing, mild aroma to it that is the specialty of Lotus Herbals. Now every teenage girl out there who thought creams were not her thing, hey, this is for you! What is more to it is that it comes with SPF 25 and is for all skin type. It makes skin soft and subtle and you will instantly feel it. When you put this, your pores would not feel clogged nor will your face feel heavy or like you have put on a cream at all. Do not think that it would radiate or make your skin glow because it would not. This is however is a must have and is better than using cold creams in winters that make the skin excessively oily. This also comes in 60g bottle and would individually cost you 325 INR.

The last product is the facial foam wash. This is too good to come that cheap and was a treat in this pack. It comes with a strong flip cap so you do not have to worry if it will leak out and stain your pouch (most of the facewashes do). It is a little runny though so do not squeeze this using force. It lathers well and I advice using it with cold to lukewarm water. It instantly brightens the skin after using it and does not leave your skin dry. As claimed, it deep cleans your face without turning your skin dry (like I said before) or stretchy. This, like the creams, has a beautiful aroma that I absolutely love. It is also very light on the pocket costing 120 INR for 50g which is the standard (only!) size that this foam wash is available in and comes in a nice, travel friendly package. It says on the pack that it reduces melanin production which is the prime reason of pigmentation however it is only half true. This is mild on skin so if you had light pigmentation, this would work. 

Overall, this is a good foam wash.

These these products are my favorites and I will definitely buy them again once it runs out. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Pros:

• These three are the best products, especially for teens (I am talking about 17+ girls)
• The foam wash gives you instant brightening and does not make skin stretchy. In fact, softens skin
• Both the creams are 60g so it would last more than a month (single user)
• The products together are very cost effective
• All the three products have a beautiful, mild aroma

Cons:

• The day and night creams are not at all travel friendly, in fact they are very heavy
• The flip cap of the foam face wash is too tight and you have to open it carefully. Also, do not squeeze it too hard otherwise it will squirt all over your hands (And it is heart wrenching) 
• They contain parabens 

These these products are my favorites and I will definitely buy them again once it runs out. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Cheers xx

-a

note: I have an oily skin and so I have reviewed this product accordingly. I do not guarantee that this product would work on you if you have normal to dry skin (though it hopefully might).

DIY│Pedicure

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hey my lovelies! 
As I was travelling through Rajasthan, my skin had to bare the extensive heat, sand granules that had fraternized with the wind and dissimilar weather. Travelling is great and I loved every part of it, from street food to binge shopping but there were many more things besides. Result? Tanning, break out with a zit here and there, and dehydration. And if that was not all in it self, my feet has a horrendous dark color with skin chipping around the pads of my toes and heels, and the sole is on the verge of cracking.

Today, I would be talking about an easy DIY home pedicure (because Lord knows I cannot afford a salon treatment until I receive my next paycheck) which is very affordable, easy and topping everything else, beneficial.

You will need the following things:

1. Nail polish remover
2. A tub or basin (to soak your feet) and lukewarm water
3. Salt 
4. Lemon or lemon essence. You can add rose petals to the water as well if you wish to do but there is no compulsion 
5. pumice stone/foot file
6. Scrub
7. Nail file (if your nails need to be shaped)
8. Nail cutter (if you can't use a nail pile like me)
9. Clear polish and nail polish
10. Cotton balls (if you are messy or just in case...you'll need these anyway)
11. foot cream or olive oil (oils work best, most people don't know this)

Now that we have everything, so...let's start!

• If you already have nail polish on my toes, then gently take it off using nail polish remover and cotton ball. Now, take a tub and fill it to a level with lukewarm water. A lot of people (including salons) fill their pedicure water tub with bubble soap or shampoo but I personally do not prefer it or recommend it because in the end that is chemical as well. Add salt and lemon slices to your water as it naturally scrubs of your feet and softens it. 

Dip your feet in the water and resume scrolling through your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram posts or whatever that you were (no, you cannot walk to the kitchen and have a cookie...just yet). Let your feet soak in for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Okay fine, go turn on the TV first.

• 
  Now that you have soaked enough, one by one take out your feet from the water and scrape off the dead skin with
  the pumice stone/foot file starting with your heels then making its way to the pads of your toes to the front of your feet. This is a great was to treat the cracked heel (no kidding)! After this, take some scrub in your hand and scrub gently your feet with it. You can use your favorite scrub for this, but I would like to recommend Oriflame's footcare scrubs that come in the range (I use raspberry). They are affordable at 299 INR for 75ml. It works smoothly and has a very sweet aroma. It will make your feet soft and remove any dead cell that the pumice stone might have missed.

I have shifted to WordPress, to read the rest click here.

Cheers xx

-a

PICTURE COURTESY: INTERNET     

Get Rid Of Tan!

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hello my lovelies! 
If I put it bluntly, I am not a summer girl and neither do I love getting tanned (don't judge me!). To be honest, my favorite seasons consist of Autumn and Spring because the temperate is normal enough for me and my skin to survive. Since Summer ended a while back I believe it would only be thoughtful of me if I did a post about how to scrub of the hideous summer tan that for god sake is not even smooth and uniform. And thus the birth of this post!

I grew up with grandparents who treated chemical products as a curse (and with that I mean every product that is sold inside a plastic wrapper with a plastic label in a plastic bottle), and so I was raised in the thick of fresh dairy milk, handmade butter and home remedies. Do I love it? Yes, ma'am! Home remedies take a longer time to work on your skin but they only do wonder. They will not show you result as instant as the 15 minutes fairness bleach but they are hundred times better and healthier. I would be talking about five home remedies that I learned from the grand-mum to get rid of tan. So...let's start!

• Gram Flour (Besan)

This is what every second person in my family does to de-tan, from me to my mum, to my cousins and their mums. My neighbor does too!

Now, you know who a day before marriage the bride is caked with turmeric (haldi). gram flour and milk to get that glow, well you will get that exact glow plus your tan would grow dim. You can skip the turmeric (I personally don't use turmeric since it gives a yellowish tinge to the skin and I end up looking like I took a dip in Holi colors). Make a paste of besan and milk (you can add turmeric as well, but I am warning you) however, do not make it too watery nor too thick. The besan has a tendency of drying fast and in my grand-mum's words, 'you do not want to have more wrinkles than you already have love' and I have never quite forgotten this line (what do I say, she loved me so!) Once the besan and milk pack has dried, use a sponge and luke-warm water to take it off.

• Cucumber (khera)

Oh you know cucumber, the good old friend. It is good for your stomach, for your eyes and also for your skin! You can make a pack by taking cucumber, rose water and curd (only if you have dry skin). Cucumber is a soothing agent so this will actually help your skin chill. A regular application of this for 10-20 minutes (twice a week minimum) will moisturize your skin and also take off the tan, plus your skin would be glowing too.

• Potato 

I came to know about this beauty bae through my cousin sister when she said that this is a better bleach than the plastic ones out there in the market and I just stared at her as though she is talking crazy but then I used it out of curiosity (and a great nudge from her) and I saw the results. If you go online and just read about potatoes, you would know that it is a natural bleacher and has properties that will help lighten that stubborn tan of yours that you got in return of wearing a cute cut-sleeve outfit to market. 

Making this pack is really simple. Just peel the potato and grate it. You can directly apply it or you can add some rose water (it can be used on its own and it would work just fine). Leave it on your face or the tanned area and wash it after 10-15 minutes.

• Lemon

As much as lemon juice soothes your throat in summer, lemon would help you get rid of the same summertime tan. I saw my mum scrubbing her face with the lemon piece once she had squeezed its juice to make lemonade for us. I laughed at her for looking funny when the tiny lemon specks would stick around her nose, forehead and around her mouth, but I soon realized why she did that. My mum had tiny freckles on her cheeks and this helped lighten them. 

You can directly apply the juice of lemon on your skin (It does irritate a little in the beginning, or at least my face did, but don't mind that because it is a sign that it is working on your skin). You can also mix honey or glycerin in it to make a better pack (I do not do that because I have really oily skin and my skin feels heavy and uncomfortable). This will lighten your skin, your freckles even and get off the tan if you vow to us it regularly.

• Aloe Vera

I have seen an aloe vera plant in our kitchen garden from as long as I could to say 'plant' (I am not kidding). This is the plant that needs least maintenance and yet its the best cure for a tanned face. To make the pack, dissect the leaf and scrape off the gel from it. You can mix lemon extract in it (or rose water) and apply it on your face till it dries. Mind this, it has a bad odor (try to resist a vomit). This is also one of the best natural thing to apply if you are having zit. Massage well on your face and wash off when dry. You will see result with regular use.   

This is it! I hope this helped and you liked these home remedies. My family carries these as a heritage and if you have any remedy of your own do not hesitate to share it with me, I would love to hear!

Cheers xx

-a

PICTURE COURTESY: INTERNET  

GUEST BLOG│MANARVEE NAIL ART

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hello my lovelies! 
I got a request for a nail art tutorial a few days back and if only you knew me you would know that my nails are done in a bizarre abstract fashion and makes no absolute sense whatsoever. I am really fascinated by the nails that make sense like fandoms or minions (oh my heart goes out to them), or designs…you get it, right? Recently I had been talking to a friend and tricked her into doing a tutorial for me. She is super creative, really fun and Far Far Away for now (oh god, no, she is not dead!). So, it is official that the amazingly talented Manavi Singh is guest blogging for me!

Halloween is fast approaching and I thought it would be really fun to do a Frankenstein theme based tutorial (It’s actually cute than scary because she has a way with nail paints). Now, instead of lounging in a salon and waiting for that girl who is paid to smile at you and tell you that you have amazing hands to finish her job, here’s a super cute tutorial on Frankenstein nails that you can start making now (assuming cute is your thing). So…let’s start!

Stuff you’re going to need:

• Green Nail Polish OR Green Acrylic Paint if none available (Used lime/kiwi acrylic paint for featured nails)
• Black Nail Polish OR Acrylic Paint.
• White Nail Polish OR…you know…
• Clear Base/Top Coat Nail Polish
• Nail Art Stripping Tape (I just used some regular tape that doesn’t have very strong stickiness to it, explained in steps how to use that)
• Black Nail Art Pen OR Thin Painting Brush.

HERE WE GO:

• Start by applying a layer of some clear base paint onto your nails, this prevents the nails from turning a yellow shade in the future. Of course you don’t HAVE to do this, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t prefer yellowed nails.
• Apply two thin layers of green nail polish on every nail.
• Once it has dried, stick the tape onto the tips of the nails, these will create French tips. Skip the ring finger (or any one finger that you want Frankie to be on). (To use tape at home, cut thin strips of tape in a straight line using a scissor.)
• Apply a layer of black nail polish behind the tape, it’s ok if the paint gets onto the tape (in fact, it’s better) but do not let the paint go ahead of the tape. Also do not paint on the ring finger!!!
• After partially dry, peel off the tape slowly. 
• While the black paint on the other fingers dries, we can start on Frankenstein on the ring finger. To do this, use the black nail art pen and draw a zig-zag shape at the start of your nails. (Or three upside down triangles) Color in the area that the lines surround. That’s the hair. (If not using the nail art pen, you can achieve the same goal by using some black nail polish and a thin paint brush. Same applies for other face features)
  
• Add two white dots beneath the hair. Let it dry.
• Add 1 smaller dot on the inside of each white dot. The eyes are done.
• To make the mouth, paint a straight line and add smaller lines crossing the first long line. This will create a stitch like effect. VOILA! YOU HAVE YOUR FRANKENSTEIN.
• (Optional detail) To create a more Frankenstein stitchy effect, take your pen or paint brush and paint some 4-5 lines coming out of the black areas on your other fingers and onto the green area but do not let them the ends of your nails.

Your Frankie Nails are done! Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you wish to create your own nail paint colour for your nail art (Yes, your own. Custom made. By you!), you can check out this DIY tutorial that the beautiful Caroline Burke did on my blog (Link Below). You can find Manavi, the genius behind this post, on Twitter or Instagram through the ID @manarvee.

Cheers xx

-a

PICTURE COURTESY : MANARVEE 

NAIL POLISH DIY TUTORIAL here

TAPE TRICKS

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hi there my lovelies! 
I would need your submission for this and your loyalty to follow my instructions: Go over to the drawer where you store your stationary products, rummage through it and take out the scotch/cello tape (or if you are more organized you might skip the second step). No, I am not teaching you craft or anything for your 1st grader, we will be using it to stylize you.

Months ago, when I was bored out of my wits and had watched enough tutorials that taught me to say ‘I love you’ to a street cat and kidnap her, I just stumbled upon some really useful posts that tutored me to use tape in a way I hadn’t before. I would be imparting my knowledge to you now. So…let’s start!

• Shape Your Brows
  

I think every girl goes through this phase where the reality of her brows dawns upon her and she realizes that it is either too thin or too bushy (it is mostly the latter one). I realized it when I was sixteen and panicked because I had not given any thoughts to my brows before. I tried to pluck it out or asked my mum to thread the extra hair, result of which is that I have uneven brows now. But worry not my brave warrior! You do not have to shed your extra hair to have horrendous shaped brows. I have a trick.

Take a white liner and mark the dot where you want to stash out the hair from, then place the tape below it. You can now start plucking or threading (whatever you are comfortable in). This will not ruin the shape of your brows nor will you pull out any hair extra.

You can also check out my blog where I give tips called 5 Simple Eye Makeup Tips.

• Have A Perfect Winged Liner
  

Since I have shifted to WordPress, read the rest by clicking here.

Cheers xx

-a

PICTURE COURTESY:INTERNET

Why My Mum Does Not Understand My Craving For Makeup

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hello my lovelies! 
To be honest, I was never a girl who used a single makeup product (except for lip balm because I have too chapped a set of lips) and still internally groaned how I am not looking ­pretty enough. And it wasn’t until as recent as June, ’14 that I started investing in cosmetics (that’s another story on its own). I grew up watching my mum using as little as just a coat of lipstick and some cold cream in the name of makeup. Therefore, I thought using lipstick was doing makeup!

So my first own makeup product was a code 01 Hot Hot Hot Colorbar lipstick. I was so ecstatic to buy it that for a whole week I reapplied it in almost all my conscious hours, that counts from the time I got up in the morning to 15 minutes later, then a little after I had my breakfast, and then before I left for office, in between when my boss was not looking, to as soon as I got home, and when I woke up from my nap in the evening to a last coat before I went to bed (you can ask my mum, yes, I was that obsessed). Since then, I am investing to a little over a thousand bucks on cosmetics in every twenty five days (God knows how much I spent this month in the honor of my birthday). Now, I have two pouches that are flooding out yet when you will look at me only my mascara and lip balm would show (no, I am not that perfect in applying makeup, just yet). You can say I am obsessed, addicted even, but what is hurting is my mum’s threats that she will flush down all my items if I do not do the dishes on time, or hide all my cotton buds and makeup remover if I do not fold my clothes and shove them in carelessly instead. I mean cut a slack; I can only do a few things at a time. Take a breath. Take another. Now, where did I keep my face toner?

My mum, matter fact anyone, does not understand my craving for makeup, or of collecting it or staring at it adoringly. Why mum and why world? I am just a girl! The thing is that in a world where you are living life in a fast lane, you need a few things that fix you up rather than waiting for that zit to simmer down, simmer down.

I am not saying applying makeup is an obligation or because you are a woman you should vow to never leave your house without it even if you are jogging down the lane; I am saying that I love it. There is this whole ‘Less is More’ and #NoMakeupTrend of celebs going on that says that you do not have to wear makeup to look beautiful and that you are pretty in just the way you are, that cosmetics are not a resort and that naked face is the best face. And so even as I scroll through these posts and read about them in the magazines or from people’s mouth, frankly I cannot help but feel a little hate towards girls like me (makeup dolls as people call us) and devote so much time and money on makeup. The most common lines that I repeatedly hear are, ‘These girls ruin their skin’, ‘what is there to hide? We all have the same skin’, ‘what a shame! They aren’t proud of themselves’, ‘They aren’t that pretty, I bet’ and it is not only people, my mum herself loathe it and ask me to remove it every time I walk by and tells me that I look prettier without it. And maybe you think the same and would pass a judgment as I pass you by, but the truth is makeup is not a thing I am covering my skin in; it is a way of me telling you how I feel comfortable looking in and the pleasure it gives me to look exactly how I picture myself in my head. I am not perfect, neither do I wake up like Beyonce` but I feel self-assured in makeup. It gives me poise, fun that I have customized my face to look like this. 
Since I have shifted to WordPress, read the rest by clicking here.

Cheers xx

-a

PICTURE COURTESY: INTERNET

CHEAP NAIL POLISH LOVE

Welcome to That Weird Girl Next Door

Hello my lovelies!
 I was strolling in the market yesterday to pick up some products that I would review on the blog and guess what I picked up: cheap drugstore nail paints! (Thank the Lord that I actually took the pictures and did not steal from the Internet again) Am I happy? Oh, you bet! Am I proud? Couldn't have been more. Am I willing to share? No charity here, sorry love.

But guess how cheap they were? 10 bucks a bottle without bargain (saved me a lot of breath!). Frankly, I have never been a fan of cheap nail paints for various reasons that ranged from their stench to their packaging to the fact that they barely stay for two days or so and chip off in a very appalling fashion. Nonetheless, admitting the fact that I am habitually re-coloring my nails on a day to day basis, I questioned my inner conscience and asked, “why not buy cheap polish?”

And so I bought four colors by Repper (sorry it does not have a color code so I can only describe what I thought their names should be) that is chalk white, turquoise blue, sunny yellow and cherry red (I have no idea why I am not appointed to officially name the nail paints yet). My collection  now ranges from these 10 bucks Repper Nail Luster polish, to 50 bucks Colorèssence ‘color your spirit’, to 75 bucks Maybelline color show, to 200 bucks Lakme` 9 to 5 and I can tell you why Repper Nail Luster polish is what I am currently hooked with (and I call them bottles of joy). So…let’s start!

•  Nail paints, be it whichever company, have a tendency of drying (stating the obvious). 
  

Putting remover or thinner in them does make them applicable but also very watery and you have to apply coat after coat after coat to get that perfect color. The number one reason of buying a cheap nail polish is that when they dry (which they do a little faster) in the bottle and solidify as a rock, you have no regret, no heavy heart or tears to shed. You just smile and say, “You were a good friend” and toss it in the bin without even turning back  or waving. You throw them. No sorrow.  And because they are so cheap you buy the other one at the very same moment. Happy face. Best deal!

Leave aside the stench, they are pretty great if you are a nail art fanatic

Moreover, if you can’t actually get the design right (just like me) and have to rub the paint off with the remover more often than not (just like me), these nail paints will, nonetheless, keep you in budget. These colors are too cheap and coming in shades you thought could only be custom made that you can actually have fun experimenting with different colors. Use a tape or a brush (whichever is handier), line up or make dots or hearts or symbols on your nail and seal it with a clear polish (for this I recommend the Colorèssence ‘color your spirit’ clear polish). It is literally that simple. You’re welcome. (On a second thought, do you want a nail art tutorial?)

•    These bottles are really traveling-friendly and light weight. All you need is a small pouch and these bottles of joy would fit in there taking minimum space. Plus they come is so many colors that you can purchase one for your every outfit, footwear or even handbag. They have a nice luster and take up to a minute to dry. Enough said. Go buy one already.

But with the good things, comes the bad things as well. No matter how brilliant these bottles of joy are, they have dark side that bothers me a bit (but then I reapply them and forget I even had a thought that I ever held anything evil against them). 
Since I have shifted to WordPress, read the rest by clicking here

Cheers xx

-a