Thursday, December 29, 2011

Shopping Experience at Big Bang Sale on Stylecraze.com

Hello Beauties,

Remember, I have told you all about the Big Bang Sale on 22nd December at stylecraze.com. I had been waiting for this sale for a long time because I wanted to pick stuff from the NYX sale & few days before the sale I realized I would be leaving the town on the same day when the sale would be up, but to my utter surprise I found out that it was going to be live at 12:00 clock in the night on 21st December. So like a crazy Harry Potter Fan  queuing at the book store or a techno geek standing at Apple store to get an Iphone, I was waiting for the clock to tick 12! And I'm glad I did that because I grabbed the NYX Soft Matt Lip cream Sao Paulo & now I see it's Sold out! Alright I'll get down to writing my experience shopping with stylecraze.com



About Stylecraze: Started by Chetana, a Make up artist with one Goal: Provide the best in Cosmetics & Beauty care to Indians at affordable prices combined with legendary customer service.


My Shopping Experince: Amazing! is the word I want to use here!



Layout & Design of stylecraze.com: When I look at the site, I can easily make out that this is a well-researched and thought out business plan, I mean it looks like the whole team has done has a lot of  research before starting the venture & it doesn't look like a amateurish attempt!

Navigation: The website provides ease of navigation, the products are divided into categories & each category has a sub category to help us search for the required product.

Speed: Haven't faced any issues with the speed even during the sale time.

Products: They have a wide range of products to cater everybody's needs, they have products for men too ;-) Right now they have products for categories like Makeup, Skin care, Hair, Bath&Body, Men, Tools & accessories. They keep adding new brands every now & then.

Content : The content is up to the par, error free, grammatically correct and on the dot.

Pricing:  They offer upto 25% lower prices than Retail stores! Almost all the products are at a discounted price & these sales like Big Bang are like a icing on the cake.

Customer Service: Yes they pride in their customer service! An automated mail is sent on your email id as soon as your order is completed.The next day after I placed the order I received a call from their very courteous Customer Service Manager who confirmed the order & expected delivery time. I don't even have to talk about Chetana, you need to see their Facebook & Twitter pages, she is always there to address customer queries on Facebook & Twitter.

Payment & Shipping: They accept Cash on Delivery(COD), Credit, Debit card,Net Banking, Check/Demand draft.Orders are shipped through registered domestic courier companies and /or speed post only. Shipping is free for orders above Rs.250 & they ship within 3 business days from the date of order. They don't ship Internationally!

Packaging: The products are nicely bubbled wrapped & placed in between thermocol sheets.


My Suggestions: Would love to see some makeup brushes on the site :

Final Word: Overall shopping at stylecraze.com makes it a wonderful experience with legendary customer service.I like the fact that team is endeavoring to get most of the International brands that we don't have accesss to, the last I heard, they are trying to get L.A Girl.

Do visit their Twitter page here & Facebook Page here They have these contests running on that'll keep you hooked to their page.

P.S Do check the website here for the flat 15% discount on Diana Of London Products as well as discounts on other brands like NYX, Bourjois, Orly, Faces, MaxFactor.

NYX is available at flat 30% Off, you get a 5% OFF if you use the code nyx5 ,to avail this click here.


Faces Cosmetics  is available at flat 20% off, to avail this click here.


Orly Nail colors are available at flat 20% Off,  you get an extra 5% OFF if you use the code orly5 ,to avail this click here.


Bourjois is available at flat 15% Off, to avail this click here.


MaxFactor is available at flat 15% Off, to avail this click here.


Revlon is available at 7% Off,  use promo code revlon7,click here to avail this






Received a gift voucher from the website however that has not affected my review.

Win a Satchel bag at Vanity No Apologies

Anshita from Vanity No Apologies is hosting a giveaway where you get a chance to win a Satchel bag by just following a few simple rules. To paticipate click here

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Big Bang Sale at stylecraze.com

Hello Beauties,

Couldn't wait to share with you all this news! stylecraze.com is having this amazing year end sale starting December 22nd where there is discount on some of the popular brands!If you have been following stylecraze.com you would have seen Chetana asking us to vote for one brand that we wished to see on huge discount at the sale & after seeing the votes, I was gleeful that NYX was the winner( Yeah NYX was my choice too), however there are discounts on other brands too, so like what Chetana has been doing for a while, here's a sneek peek of the Big Bang Sale that's starts tonight at 12 O'clock!

Since I'm an affiliate with stylecraze.com, you could use the promo code mentioned here & avail extra % off on most of the brands!

These are the brands that are on sale right now & many more will be added in the coming days!

NYX is available at flat 30% Off, you get a 5% OFF if you use the code nyx5 ,to avail this click here.

Faces Cosmetics  is available at flat 20% off, to avail this click here.

Orly Nail colors are available at flat 20% Off,  you get an extra 5% OFF if you use the code orly5 ,to avail this click here.

Bourjois is available at flat 15% Off, to avail this click here.

MaxFactor is available at flat 15% Off, to avail this click here.


Revlon is available at 7% Off,  use promo code revlon7,click here to avail this,.

Aren't you girls excited, I'm excited though :)










Monday, December 19, 2011

48craft.com An Online website to buy Ethnic Handicrafts

Hello Beauties,

Wanted to share with you all this wonderful endeavor started by a couple from IIM-A and MDI Gurgaon.
This couple aspires to provide well designed handicraft products for the Urban Lifestyle through great customer service & in turn create lots of smiles. So I'll go ahead & let you know a little more about this noble venture- 48craft.com



What is 48craft.com : 48craft.com is a website that offers authentic crafts at the click of a mouse. The team is an ambitious bunch of young folks who aspire to make this a sustainable business model and also contribute to the craftsmen in this journey, they travel to the villages explore, research and then partner with the best craftsmen for each craft. They collaborate directly with the Craftsmen thereby removing all the middlemen and the pricing irregularities caused by them to the craftsmen.

My Experience shopping with 48craft.com: The handicrafts are divided into so many sections which include jewellery, home decor, bags, paintings to name a few. Browsing through the website is easy & hassle free!



Customer Service: As soon I finished placing my order, I received my email about the order confirmation. Once the products are packaged & shipped an email is sent with the docket no & other tracking details. They are planning to introduce SMS confirmation of the order & shipping very soon.

Shipping & Payment: CCAvenue, the leader in payment gateway solutions, is their  Payment gateway partner which offers 100% secure online shopping. They accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express cards. Shipping is free for all orders above Rs 99, if the order amount is less than Rs.99 then the shipping charge becomes Rs 40. They have partnered with First flight & Aramex in delivering the orders.Since I stay in the same city, I got the package through speed post. The Payment options supported are
       * Credit/Debit Card
       * Net banking
       * ITZ Cash payments
       * Mobile payments
       * DD & Cheque


Packaging: The packaging is based on the product nature, fragile goods are nicely bubble wrapped & stuffed in between shredded newspapers & thermacol. My package was nicely bubble wrapped & none of the items got damaged.







Delivery: The team assures delivery within 1-3 days, business days exclude public holidays and sundays. The did stand by their words & I got the package on the second day. They deliver outside India too, they accept payment through Paypal & ship by Fedex.

Products: The products are authentic, nicely crafted & are also mentioned as toxic free.






Few Suggestions:
1. Some items don't have their dimensions mentioned, hope they do include it.
2. It would be good if they have the different pictures of the products in different angles, single pictures sometimes make it difficult to decide.
3. Hope they include COD soon, because if I'm a first time shopper on the website, I would opt for COD to make sure I'm  not deceived & I can trust the website for future online transactions.

Final Word: These young folks who are running this website have put their heart into it & trying to make it a huge success! I appreciate the fact that they give credit to each craftsman! Every products you see has the craftsman's name mentioned with some pictures of them. This venture is already a success & I hope this endeavor makes them a household name for handicrafts.

You can find them on Facebook here

Received a gift voucher from the website however that has not affected my review.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Win Lord & Berry Cosmetics worth Rs.3000@ Corallista makeup Blog ends 23rd Dec

Here's a chance to win makeup goodies worth Rs.3000 from Lord & Berry Cosmetic brand at Corallista makeup Blog sponsored by HealthKart. To check the rules & participate click here

Win Orly Nail Polishes & Bourjois Blushes at Peaches and Blush for Indian Residents Only

It's Christmas Giveaway time at Peaches and Blush! Mehak from Peaches and Blush along with stylecraze.com are giving away goodies. Two winner get these prizes

1st Prize: Brand New Bourjois  L'ilas D'or Blush and 3 Orly Nailpoishes of YOUR choice!!!!
2nd Prize: Rs 500  shopping voucher from style craze
To check the rules & participate visit the blog here 
To check the shades of the nail color visit stylecraze.com

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Shop & Win event at High Street Phoenix- Mumbai


This Christmas High Street Phoenix has a mega Shop & Win Lucky Draw Contest from 12th - 31st December 2011. Shoppers spending a minimum of Rs 5,000 at any of the 200 + diverse stores can redeem the bills for Shop & Win coupons and can get a chance to enter daily, weekly & bumper raffle draws to win exciting prizes!

The bumper prize is a brand new Mercedes Benz followed by a family trip to Disneyland - HongKong and Gold Jewelry from Lifestyle. 

They also have daily and weekly Shop & Win contests running on our Facebook page, Twitter handle and the Website.Online users can participate in these contests and win themselves direct raffle tickets to the lucky draw and also gift vouchers worth Rs. 250! 



Do check their Facebook, Twitter pages & also their website.


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Lotus Herbals Seduction Botanical Tinted Lipgloss in 40 Lychee Squash

Hello Beauties, In the month of September Lotus Herbals introduced 5 hot new glossy shades of  Red, Pink, Peach,& Purple in the Seduction Botanical Tinted Lip gloss. I received this long time back along with Moist Petals Lipstick in Red Rover, review here  but had been avoiding using it for the mere reason that I'm not much of a lipgloss person, so I though it's high time I use it & review the same.



Description/Claim by Lotus Herbals: Lotus Herbals SEDUCTION™ is a lustrous lip gloss which has a unique non-sticky & high sheen formula. It contains botanical extracts of Grapes & Jojoba that keep your lips soft & moisturized all day long. This premium innovative lip gloss is 100% vegetarian & free of animal products, making it absolutely safe. Its easy grip brush applicator ensures precise & accurate application on your lips. In addition, its long & soft bristles allow you to use the lip gloss as a top coat without affecting your lip color.

Price: Rs. 225 INR for 5ml.

Shades:  15 shades are available, of which 5 new shades are Lychee Squash(40), Strawberry Punch 41, Sappy Watermelon(42), WinterBerry Crush(43), Passion Fruit Splash(48).

My Experience: I just wanted to put my experience in points, so here it is

Packaging: The gloss comes in a see through transparent plastic sturdy tube, the small micro shimmer is very obvious from the tube. The sponge tip applicator provides ease of application, I personally don't like the brush applicator for lipglosses.

Fragrance:  It smells like some kind of talc I have used, it isn't over-whelming, it fades away as soon as you apply & doesn't bother at all!

Texture: The gloss isn't gloppy or sticky  & doesn't make the lips feel heavy unlike most of the lipglosses. It's very true to the claim that it's hydrating & provides a nice sheen. It has lots of micro multicolored shimmer which isn't coarse or granular.

Shade: The shade is like light salmon pink or bisque with lots of shimmer with brown undertones.This shade works best on top of a lipstick & would suit for festive make up looks.


Pigmentation: This doesn't look great on my pigmented bare lips if used alone, I usually use it over a lipstick I think the darker shades from this range look more pigmented.




Staying Power: The staying power of this lipgloss isn't that great, it stays for not more than 2-3 hours like most of the lipglosses however it leaves behind a slight tint with shimmer.

Final Word: This one of the best lipglosses I have ever tried, looks beautiful with festive eye makeup, I like the lipstick Red Rover more than this!

Product sent by the brand for consideration

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Lanikai Handmade Hawaiian Soap - Guava

Hello Beauties, Today I would be reviewing this wonderful Handmade soap from Lanikai Bath & Body, this is the first handmade soap I have ever tried. Honestly I have never cared to understand how these hand made soaps are different from the regular synthetic soaps. But after using this hand-made soap,I would say kudos to those people who put in so much effort to make these soaps.
Alright, let me introduce to you all to these wonderful people from the beautiful beach town Kailua in Hawaii who make these handmade soaps.



About Lanikai Bath & Body: In the Hawaiian language, Lanikai literally means “royal sea” or “heavenly.”
The Lanikai Bath & Body group was founded by Gloria Garvey & Brook Gramann. According to the group the handmade natural Lanika Bath and Body products are created using only the finest natural ingredients from Hawai`i. The Lanikai Bath and Body collection contain pure essential oils, distinctive blends of fragrances, and the finest ingredients nature has to offer.
The products were created in partnership with an expert in both horticulture and natural skin care, who has been formulating body care and spa products for more than 25 years. They take special pride in the scents, which replicate Hawaii's beautiful flowers perfectly. 

Gentle and nourishing and featuring 18 different scents and close to 100 different products, the Lanikai Bath and Body line of Hawaiian made products is the most comprehensive body and skin care line in the islands. All of their products are natural, botanically based, cruelty free and safe for the environment.

About the Handmade Soaps from Lanikai: Lanikai Bath and Body soaps are handmade in small batches to produce a mild, rich, soothing soap that's creamy with a long-lasting lather. Pure Hawaiian water, saponified oils of coconut, palm, soy and sweet almond, rosemary seed extract.

Handmade with organic and natural ingredients in Hawaii. Exotic infusions of locally harvested herbs and flowers Soothing Hawaiian oils for daily use and sun kissed skin 100% vegan, sulfate, paraben and phthalate free, no heavy perfumes or alcohols.

Where to shop from? The link to their online store is here http://www.lanikaibathandbody.com/ They are available on Facebook too.

So here's my experience using the handmade soap with the Guava scent.

What does the Lanikai group say about these handmade soaps: "Our Lanikai Bath and Body soap bars are handmade from scratch using the 'cold-process' method. Scented using only pure, aromatherapy grade essential oils. 100% natural. The gentlest, silkiest soap. In the most amazing Hawaiian scents"

Price: $6.50 for 4o.z Bar..

My Experience:
1. Colour: The color of the soap is like a combination of ripe & unripe guava & looks yumm!

2. Fragrance: Indeed, the soap smells like guava & isn't too overwhelming, it has this natural smell of guava that makes you feel like eating it :) The smell makes the bath an uplifting experience, unlike most synthetic soaps it doesn't make me sneeze because of the strong fragrance. The fragrance doesn't last for long, it stays good for 2-3 hours & I'm Ok with that because synthetic soaps do have a smell that stays longer because of the presence of chemicals & these homemade soaps are all natural without any chemicals.

3. Ingredients: These soaps are "Au Naturel"! These soaps are free from chemicals, parabens, sulphates(SLS), Alcohol, Animal Fat. They are hypoallergenic(meaning less likely to cause allergy), they include infusions of locally harvested flowers, herbs & oils. These are naturally Anti-Bacterial because of large concentrations of Coconut Oil & has Olive Oil which is rich in Vitamin E &other nutrients. The soaps are Bio-degradable.

4. Texture &Moisturization: The soap lathers & cleanses pretty well & rinses off easily &  doesn't become soggy at all ( I thought it would become mushy but it didn't). It moisturizes well & doesn't make my skin dry, & like the Lanikai group claims it is indeed a gentle & silky soap.

5. Shipping: They ship anywhere in the world and are known for our beautiful gift wrapping (free!)- ideal for all occasions. They use USPS Flat Rate shipping, so it makes their shipping costs very reasonable.

Would I recommend this? Yeah definitely!

Product sent by the brand, however I guess I had  to pay the duty tax on these items to pick them up.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Shifei Deep Cleansing Nose Strips


Hello Beauties,
I got these Shifei Deep Cleansing Nose Strips on my recent visit to a local beauty store & have been using them for a while so here's my take on the nose strips.
These nose strips are manufactured by a Chinese company called Guangzhou Shifei Cosmetics Co., Ltd which is a specialized cosmetic company which develops, produces, and sells professional skin care products.



What does the company claim about the nose strips:  Shifei Nose Pore strips offer you a one step solution to help remove blackheads & unclog pores.

                               
Price: Rs.90 INR for 10 Nose strips.


Ingredients: 
           

My Experience using these strips: These strips are very easy to use, the pack has all the instructions listed on it, it's just like using the wax strips, you just need to peel off the strip, apply it on wet nose & wait for 10-15 minutes & peel it off. Everytime I have used these strips, I  observed that most of the black as well as white heads come off, though there are few which are left behind. This works best after you have bath. I have attached a few pictures after the strip is peeled off.














Final Word: Although these don't completely remove all the black & white heads but I'm still happy using these because these are much better than the Biore nose strips that I have tried & are also less expensive when compared with Biore( Biore is Rs.35 for 1 strip & this is Rs.9 approximately). I'm definitely going to repurchase this until I find something that works better than these.


P.S Do you girls also sneeze when you peel off the nose strip! Yeah I do ;-)

Friday, December 2, 2011

How to order Kaya products- A step by step pictorial guide

Hello Beauties, I often order the Kaya Fairness Facewash(100ml) from the Kaya website, I have been using this facewash for almost an year, so wanted to show how I order it online, hope this helps someone who wants to make an order.


STEP 1: Go to the Kaya Clinic Homepage & click on the desired range you are looking for, since I chose Fairness range, the arrow points to it.


 STEP 2: Once you see the different products from the fairness range, you need to click on the option BUY ONLINE below the desired product.
STEP 3: Once you click on the BUY ONLINE option, you will be directed to Rediff website. You need to click on the ADD TO CART option.

STEP 4: The next step is about proceeding to the CHECKOUT.

STEP 5:  The next step is about entering either your rediff or gmail id & click Continue.

STEP 6: Updating the address where the product has to be delivered.
STEP 7: Need to choose the payment options, I chose Net Banking.








FINAL WORD: The only advantage of shopping Kaya Products Online instead of visiting the store is you save Rs.20 INR I had no issues with the packaging however the delivery is very slow, I ordered this on 17th November & got it on  24th November, it took 8 days for the product to be delivered, there are so many other websites that offer 3 days delivery, hope the company( Kaya) takes a note of this.