Dazzle and Sizzle: August 2012

How to do Gel nails : Video Tutorial

Seriously , this is the most amazing thing for nails ! I know it is a bit costly to get the UV gel nail kit, but it is like an investment forever . Here is the link which has information on the Gel nail kit I bought from Amazon .When my sister saw this video, she got intimidated by the number of things required for this, but you get everything with the kit. It is not that complicated.

Ohh Btw , I just shot this picture after 4 days of having done these nails , and all that while my nails had to endure bleach, washing detergent, alcohol wipes and what not! However , the gel seems to provide a layer of protection to my nails from all these strong chemicals and helps me grow them.Which is why I am so obsessed with these right how.

Check out the video on how I did it.

I will update this post after 2 weeks to show you if my nail paint is still intact or not.

Some more gel nail posts -

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Buying suncreens in Japan

I dedicated one entire post to buying sunscreen in Japan, since it can be a bit nerve-wracking to find something with very specific attributes.

Since I was heading to a beach, I wanted a water-proof sunscreen which would not wash away in the sea. I remember the last time when I used a regular sunscreen and entered the water, my face and body turned all white!:P I had put loads of it , alot more than what my skin could absorb.

So this time I realised, I need something which is

Waterproof
Fast absorbing
Strong Sun protecting capabilities so a higher SPF and PA+
Sweat and sebum resistant, since its so humid on the beaches and the last thing you want is to look sweaty and dull.

It is almost impossible for me to explain all this to the sales person but knowing the points below helped.

If you are looking for a water proof one , look for ウォータープルーフ (wa-ta-poru-fu) label.
Protection again sun = protection again UV rays. UV rays= UVA + UVB.
UVB rays are more responsible for tanning and skin burn. Japan and other nations as well, use SPF to measure protection against UVB rays.It starts from 15 to 30 and goes on till 50+.The more the number the better it is.
Protection against UVA is denoted by PA and + sign.

PA+ strong protection

PA++ very strong protection

PA+++ the strongest protection

Sunscreen in Japan is called hiyakedome ひやけどめ, but even if you say sunscreen with a Japanese accent (sunn-su-ku-ri-nu), they should understand

So , I went to Tomods and picked these three- Shesiedo Anessa, Liberta Sunscreen Spray Raios and Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel Cool.

Shesiedo Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen

It is a Japanese Sunscreen Milk which dries to a silky and non sticky finish.I was surprised by how light weight and super absorbent it was. it felt more like a fine serum than a cream.It is water resistant, however it is effective for 80 minutes while swimming. it is also sebum and sweat resistant. It seems pricey, however a little bit goes a long way. I was a bit apprehensive on buying it, even though I was getting a discount on it, because the bottle seemed too small to justify the price.However, after using it , I think I have started liking it more than my all time favourite Clinique Sunblock SPF 40.

Water resistant :Yes

Sweat resistant : Yes

Sebum Resistant:Yes

price:60ml for ¥2680-¥3500

Liberta Sunscreen Spray Raios

What attracted me towards this product was that it is a spray. Honestly, I didn't know what UV protectant sprays exist.It can be used on hair and even on top of makeup. It disperses and invisible micro fine mist.It should be applied every two to three hours . It is ranked no.1 according to Cosme.net which is one of the Japanese beauty product's review website.

Water resistant :Yes

Sweat resistant : Yes

Sebum Resistant:Yes

price:70g for ¥1680

Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel Cool

It is a Japanese sunscreen gel that leaves the skin feeling cool and refreshed. It feels light and refreshing on the skin and dries into a transparent non sticky finish.This is the most cost effective, so I use it on my body when I don't go swimming.

Water resistant :No

Sweat Water resistant :No

Sweat resistant : No

Sebum Resistant:No

price:80g for ¥580-780

Which one is my favourite?

To choose a favourite is hard, since all three of them serve different purposes. I used them at a beach, however I did get a tan, but I cannot ignore the fact that I was in the sea for hours doing scuba diving. My husband who did not use any sunscreen on his body got a major sun burn. So I know they were effective. I would certainly buy these three again.

Beach proof Makeup : Tips, Ideas and Products used

Beach Makeup and Look

My last few posts were on Beach looks and outfits and here I would like to talk about beach makeup. You don't need to have these products. They are listed so that you get an idea of the type of products needed with water proof and oil free attributes.These qualities would make your makeup Beach-Proof and you can be out all day long in sweat and humidity, looking as fresh as you did in the morning.

As you would know , I went to Guam recently. I was so excited and had been planning in my head all the stuff I would need to carry .Well apart from the obvious shorts , T-shirts and bikinis that we need, beach makeup is something which probably a lot of us wouldn't think off. A lot of us are wary of doing makeup on beaches. Either it would wash away or melt down is what we may think .

I have been using some products for a while now, which are perfect for beaches, even if you want to go for a swim.Get that sun-kissed glow which looks perfectly natural and sexy because the last thing you want is too much makeup on the beach! So lets get started!

These are my top 3 products when I go to the beach:

SUNSCREEN

Obviously! This is a complete must. I use Clinique Sun Block SPF 40. I can't write enough about how much I love this cream. My skin being extremely oily , doesn't go well with creams. This is one cream I use, which feels so lightweight and helps control my oiliness. It has a slight tint which I quite like and it is a SPF 40 for intense protection from the sun. It is not waterproof, so when I am heading in the water, I prefer something water proof such as Shesiedo Anessa SPF50+ and Raios Spray SPF50+. For complete reviews on sunscreen click here

MASCARA

Mascara does the trick! It gives that extra oomph in just a minute. Just curl your lashes and use a Water Proof Mascara. I love the Dior Show Black Out Water Proof Mascara. It is buildable and absolutely water proof. It takes some effort to remove it, unless you use a cleansing oil. Good thing, it is perfect for beaches, as It seems highly unlikely for it to melt down or wash away.

CONCEALER
A lot of us need a concealer to hide our dark circles or blemishes. I need for it my under-eyes. I can do with out it too but if in just a minute, I can get to see a much more improved version of me then why not? I absolutely love the Makeup Forever Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream. It is water proof, so it just sticks on to the skin and doesn't come off that easily. It isn't so creamy but it is perfect for beach makeup.Use the one which matches closely to your skin (if you are not using a face foundation) or else it will not look natural

These are some more products I like to use depending on the event :

BRONZER
You can also add a bronzing highlighter to get a sun-kissed glow. You can use it on areas of your face where sunlight falls. Your tip of the nose, chin, cheek bones, and middle of forehead.I love the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze for the face.

Since we all do get tanned on beaches, using a body Bronzer adds a beautiful sunkissed glow. I used Body Shop Body and Leg Shine. It is a roll-on and very easy to use. I quickly rub it all over my skin and it gives a nice sheen. I realised It doesn't look good on fair/untanned skin.

LIPSTICK/GLOSS/STAIN
You could also dab on some of your favourite lip gloss but it is highly likely to wash away. A lip stain would do good. I used nude lip shades Mac Satin and Mac Cremesheen Cremecup, but I did have to touch up every once in a while. I just like the tanned look and nude lips

FOUNDATION
When going for a beach dinner/ party etc.you could do a little more while looking natural . A long lasting foundation which is meant for oily or oily/combination skin would do good. Since it would be hot and humid at a beach, a foundation with high moisture component would melt down. I use the Clinique Even Better and Mac Mineralize Satin Finish.These are oil free and long lasting.I quite love these and sometimes I mix the too to get the closest match to my skin .

I used a foundation primer prior to applying foundation to extend the longevity of foundation and much more. For complete know how of primers go here.

I also use Smash Box Photo Set Finishing Powder which fixes the makeup and the makeup stays put all day long.

EYELINER
I use a water proof gel liner such as Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eye Liner in black. It is long lasting , easy to use and absolutely water proof and smudge free. A kajal should be avoided since it can easily melt down in the extreme humidity and make your eyes looks worn out in a couple of hours.

It probably looks like a lot of work but it doesn't take more then 10 minutes and you can transform yourself into a damsel.This regime will control your sweat and oil levels, keep your makeup intact and make you look fresh whole day long.

For the Beach hair, I would need to do another post, since this one is already too long.

NOTE: To view the complete post ,please right click on the image and then "Open link in new tab".

How to organise and store your makeup

It is a multipurpose storage shelf and what better way to use it. I have stocked up all the daily items I need and I can do my simple makeup in 10 min .

Dressing table - The items I use almost everyday or most frequently are kept on the table slab.

This is a multipurpose Fur stand in Fuchsia. I knew this had to be mine the moment I saw it

The top section has my blushes and bronzers

The middle section had my eyeliners, gel liners, lip liners, mascara, etc

This is another storage basket which fits in the drawer below the slab.This one has all my foundation primers,eye primers,sunscreen, eye roll on etc.

STORAGE BASKETS INSIDE THE DRESSING TABLE DRAWERS

These cute baskets are also kept inside the dressing table drawers which have my nail paints.

Here are some more baskets inside the dressing table drawers.They contain hot roller clips, hair straighter and curlers, hair bands and other hair tying items.

This is another basket of shallow depth which has some random stuff like the mutli-plugs, silk-epil etc.

STORAGE ON/IN THE WOODEN RACK

This is the wooden shelf placed next to one the walls of my make-up room.

These are all the items which I don't need as often as the rest on the dressing table. Creams, oils,hair sprays, perfumes, face masks, etc.

The shelf has some more eyes shadow palettes and some random makeup items, which I don't use that often.

This beautiful pink storage basket which contains my eyeshadow pigments and glitter. I don't use it that often, unless I wish to do some dramatic eye makeup. It is easy to carry the whole basket to the dressing table, when I want to use any of the shades.

This is a corner storage self which contains my entire manicure and pedicure tools and the gel nail equipment. The shelf makes it easy to view all the items , and whenever I wish to do my nails, I carry the whole shelf to the table.

This is the top shelf which has the IBD gels

These are so cute and useful storage cubes made of fabric. They are foldable and have a lid to cover the top which I don't need here. It has my items such as caps,socks, scarfs,mufflers, etc

STORAGE INSIDE MY CLOSET

This is any inbuilt closet in the room with the hanging rod in the entire closet. This made the bottom part of the closet redundant. So I picked up these drawers which stores my other accessories.

This drawers contains my bangles and bracelets.

These are really cute,big and deep drawers,

I adjusted the dividers and removed the ones on the right side, so I could fit in the hair extensions

The hanging shelf is useful to organise and store smaller items such as my sunglasses etc.

IN MY GYM BAG

This is cute basket I carry to the gym. I need it post sauna.Includes shampoo,conditioner ,face wash,body massager,loofah, hair mask etc.

I realised that I have still missed a few things but since this post is already so long , I can keep a part 2 for it, in which I can show you how I organise and store my junk jewelry etc.

As a kid or even as a teenager , I was really messy and unorganised.I would always end up loosing or misplacing things . I remember my mother giving me endless lectures but I couldn't care less. So today , I am sure that after reading this , my mother would be proud of me .I try to keep things organised and clean. How I did it ? I don't know. I guess with time and the fact that I moved to Tokyo post marriage and developed a sense of responsibility. I don't lose things and my room isn't messy any longer :)

I would love to hear your feedback on how you like these storage items . I am trying to figure out a way to make such items and many more accessible to you all. My friends and relatives back in India, ask me to get some of the items they like, after checking it on my blog. So I thought , that why not build a platform where you can choose and shop. What kind of items would you be interested in? Your reviews and comments would help me a great deal .

Summer LOTD & Winery Visit

Shirt: Ross, Guam
Shorts: Forever 21,Tokyo
Slippers : Nine West , Guam

Coco Farm and Winery - Ashikaga, Japan

Wine Grapes Hanging

Wine Barrels

Shirt: Ross, Guam
Shorts: Forever 21,Tokyo
Golden Loafers : Nine West , Guam

An absolutely remarkable day we chose to head off to Coco farm and Winery! The sun was right on us, penetrating deep into our skin, burning every inch of our body. Thankfully, I had put loads of sunscreen :P.The whole winery tour reminded me of early morning classroom lectures, which made me all the more sleepy. The sweat and the sleepiness together felt awful ,but then I had my camera to click pictures .The place felt warm and cosy and had a different charm to it. The wine grapes hanging on the roof and barrels stored for years, fascinated me.Little did I know then ,that it is autistic and disabled people crafting these finest vintages in Japan.

We savoured the crisp taste of wine served with cheese and mushrooms. I missed the olives.I remember that a few hours later , we were no longer that sober ,thanks to the plenty of wine we all had. We were cracking jokes and laughing at the top of our voices ,annoying the people around.

At the sunset, we headed to Fireworks(Hanabi) where you get to witness fireworks for almost an hour an a half, at a scale so big, that you can't believe unless you see it with your own eyes. The whole sky is lit with crackers, and there are thousands of people watching ,celebrating the splendid view.

Coming back to my outfit, I am glad I chose to wear something light , airy and comfortable on this scorching hot day. I had done another post in the same shirt ----> here. The one difference is that this time its teamed up with high waisted shorts, which allows me to eat and drink as much ,without having to bother about my stomach bloating :P