Studio Gear CC Cream Review

I've had a lot of posts on this list of posts to write and publish. Most of them involved me trying things on my face and that's one of the reasons why I haven't gotten to writing them. Recently my skin decided to go crazy with hormonal acne and so I spent weeks without makeup because I didn't want to aggravate it. I think this little break from makeup was good for me because I feel like I've got a fresh perspective on things suddenly and I've started liking shades I never liked before! Anyway, before my train of thoughts completely derails, let me get to the point. The acne also left quite a few spots. They're not very conspicuous but if you look at my skin up close you can definitely see more spots than I dared to count. While some bits of newly discovered skincare have been working wonders on the healing process, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to review some BB Creams and CC Creams that I had been putting off reviewing for a while. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis and I use the BB and CC creams regularly only on days like these where my skin has been acting crazy. This Studio Gear CC cream is the first CC Cream I've tried (been obsessed with BB creams for a while though) and I actually quite like it.

                                  

The packaging isn't anything very different. Just a standard tube with a little sticker that indicates the shade (mine's in the shade "natural"). It's available in 3 shades - Linen, Natural and Wheat - which isn't a lot but I don't think that creams of this kind really need that many shades since they blend in beautifully with a huge range of shades.

When you first squeeze out some of the CC Cream, it's going to look like a weird white with tiny beige dots in it. The first time I decided to use this product I was being quite absent-minded and felt startled at the color! Hahaha. The tiny beige dots are beads packed with pigments that burst as soon as you apply pressure on them and they mix with the white cream base. I think this allows the cream to adapt to the shade of your skin to a certain extent and voila! it looks like the picture below.

Watching the cream change colors and then blend into my skin perfectly is probably my favorite part of using it. It just feels like magic even though I know why it changes color. The cream blends in really well and is best applied with your fingers since the pigment beads need the slight pressure to release pigments. Studio Gear claims that it's very hydrating but I don't really feel very hydrated or dry. I just feel normal which is great for me because it just feels weightless on the skin. The coverage is wonderful! It doesn't completely conceal all the blemishes but it minimizes them really well. It can be layered to increase the amount of coverage but if you add too many layers it does look cakey. This isn't much of a problem according to me since it has better coverage than the usual tinted moisturizer and doesn't need many layers. Here are some pictures so that you can see the difference.

It's definitely enough coverage for using everyday and with some concealer probably even enough to wear to an event but that's just me I guess. Let's just ignore the complete lack of makeup and the messy hair in the pictures now and listen to me talk about this wonderful little CC Cream. I love everything about it except for the smell. It just smells very very odd but after using it for a day or two I got accustomed to it and it doesn't bother me anymore. I also just found out that since Studio Gear received a lot of great response for this CC Cream they've started a subscription service. It allows you to select a specific interval if and when you choose to subscribe and at the end of that interval they send you a notification about the shipment of another tube. If you aren't done with your tube yet you can easily change the interval and they never charge you without your permission. You also end up saving about 10% on your purchase I think. It sounds wonderful for avoiding those times when you run out of products and then can't find the time to stop by a store to pick them up again. Although the idea is lovely and fascinates me, I don't think I'm going to subscribe right now because I want to try some more CC Creams. I might subscribe if I don't find a better one but I doubt I'm ever going to be done trying out new products. Haha.

What do you think about this CC Cream? Studio Gear is a new discovery to me but I loved their Smoky Eye and cheek palette and I love this product too so I'm sure I'll try more of their products. Have you tried anything from Studio Gear?


Tanaya <3

                                     Twitter|Facebook|Bloglovin'|Instagram|Polyvore|GFC


*The product was provided for consideration for a review. The opinions as always are my own and completely unbiased. 

The Bags I've Been Dreaming Of Recently.

The Celine Trapeze: There’s a reason this bag is at the top of the list. It inspired me to do this post. I’m so obsessed with this bag right now that I’ve started having dreams about it. In the most recent one (I don’t remember it very well) the world was ending but I suddenly owned this bag and felt really calm. I know the dream makes no sense but the point is that I now really really need this bag! And I have a few color combinations in my mind that I need to have it in. So even if someone offers me one for free in another color I would not be happy. The one with the pictures here is at the top of my list of color combinations. I just love everything about it! The front closure clasp especially. I think this bag has a beautiful clasp.

The Bloomsbury Bag by Burberry: I fell it love with this bag the moment I saw it all over my instagram feed as Burberry posted pictures of it on their instagram at the same time that it was shown on the runway.  The darker one in the pictures here is my favorite! The purple version of it in the third picture is excellent as well. And then the other one is a close second. I can’t help but be specific when it comes to bags. But look at that detail! These Bloomsbury bags are all so unique and beautiful.

The Prada Saffiano Tote: This bag is an old classic but I never really lusted for it until I saw one in this color. It’s such a beautiful dusky pink. There’s also a brighter pink and a paler pink available but this one is right in the middle and it’s so perfect. I just don’t know how to express what I feel about this color with this bag. Just look at it.

The Dolce & Gabbana bag #1: I’ve wanted this bag for the longest time out of any of these. I even used it in my Fanny Crown outfit post (which won a contest so this bag must bring luck) and I just think it’s gorgeous. It has the whole baroque/classic greek and roman theme going on and the contrast of pretty plum flowers on a cold monotone background is wonderful.

The Dolce & Gabbana bag #2: It’s the perfect bag for spring-summer. I don’t think it’s possible to find a better bag for this season. The shades of green and yellow just make it look so bright and the gold chain and lock add elegance so that we all remember that it’s Dolce & Gabbana.

Celine Boston Luggage Tote: Aaand I’m being overly specific again. I need this combination of white/creme and black. I have seen a few grey and fuchsia suede ones that look wonderful so I wouldn’t mind those. Under no circumstances would I settle for the plain black one though. Isn’t plain black just over-used in bags nowadays? This bag has the perfect wings (unlike the Celine Phantom Luggage which I think has huge weird-looking wings) and is so wonderfully structured.

That's quite a lot of bags I think. What do you think about my list? Do you have any bags on your list that you would like me to check out? Share the bag-love in the comments below! And then go follow me/my blog on all these other internet-place-thingies: Twitter, Bloglovin', Facebook, Instagram, GFC, Polyvore and Google+. I hope you liked this post. I'm doing a post other than a review post after so long and it feels awesome! It was so much fun compiling this list and all the pictures in it so I hope you had fun reading it as well.

Tanaya <3

Giveaway! - The Fanny Crown Voucher.

This is my first giveaway! I would love to do a bigger giveaway for you guys but this blog is only about 8 months old now and I feel like I'm not at the stage to hold a big giveaway yet. However, I created an outfit post using a fanny crown dress as my inspiration and the outfit I had created ended up winning a €50 voucher! I was ecstatic that my outfit had actually won something so huge considering fanny crown had received entries from all over the world. I then had an idea (which I think is brilliant but that could just be me. Haha ). Instead of using the voucher myself, I wanted to give the voucher to one of my readers. Now this giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and so all of you can enter! The rules to enter are very simple. Complete each of the steps and leave your Facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/google+/gfc usernames below in a comment so that I can check. It might be slightly inconvenient and I apologize if it is but it would ensure that the giveaway is fair.

Requirements for Entries:
1) Follow this blog on Bloglovin'
2) Follow this blog on gfc
3) Follow this blog on Twitter
4) Share a tweet about this giveaway and tag @Thesecretlife_T #giveaway and leave the link to the tweet in your comment.
5) Follow me on Instagram
6) Like my blog's page on Facebook
7) Tell me which dress you like the best from the fanny crown site. (Either leave a link to the dress or tweet me a picture)
8) Don't forget to leave your email address in the comment so that I can contact you when you win! :)

This giveaway is open till April 14th so that's about a month and I will pick a winner from among the comments below and send an email to the winner on April 14th.

I'm so excited for this giveaway and I hope you are too! Go ahead and enter and spread the word.

Tanaya <3 

Save The Blow Dry, Something you'll love-Review

As a beauty blogger you get sent many products. However, this was my first time receiving a shower cap. It just seemed strange to me that a shower cap would be sent for reviews. That was before I had seen this beauty. I had imagined the usual thin plastic and elastic strip shower caps that we all see and use everyday and even hotels provide you with. This shower cap is like no other I've ever seen before! First of all, do you see how pretty it is? It's so adorable and has bows all over it (I love bows). It's also the best quality I've ever seen. It has a really good quality outer layer which repels the water and an inner layer of super absorbent microweave which is like a towel. What that does is that it absorbs all the little steam or water droplets that may go near you hair making sure that your hair stays dry. It also makes the shower cap super easy to use. The cap is also used for dual usage because you can turn it inside out and wear it over your favorite hair treatment so that the towel does not get sticky. The usual cheap plastic shower caps never fit my hair and it's annoying but this one can probably fit hair that's twice as long as mine! I just love using this shower cap so much. If I start doing a favorites post this thing is going to be sitting there in every one of those posts because I use it almost everyday. I already know that if it ever gets damaged I will have to get a new once immediately because I cannot have a shower without it. I can just never go back to using ordinary shower caps again.

The only con about it? I was hoping that those bows would be made of real ribbons because they look so realistic! Don't you think? But real ribbon bows would be stupid and impractical because they would get wet every time you shower. So I guess we can ignore that. I still love my Shower cap with all it's colorful bows. 

That's the inner microweave towel lining. It really works like magic. It absorbs the water but barely ever gets wet. It looks so soft and comfy too.

Isn't this the prettiest? Now for the sad part. Save The Blow Dry isn't available in USA yet. But don't worry because they said they would be expanding to USA soon! And anyway, we beauty obsessives know how to get our hands on things that aren't available anyway. That's when all the relatives in UK get calls saying "please receive this package for me and ship it to me." or something along those lines. Hahaha. I know that's what I'm going to do as soon as I need a new one (doesn't seem like I need one anytime soon). If I visit UK I'm going to stock up on these for a lifetime. Meanwhile you can get it from their website here or http://savetheblowdry.com

So what do you think? Do you like it? Are all you beauties in UK going to try it? Let me know in the comments below because I love reading them. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin, GFC, Polyvore and Instagram. Tweet me if you try any of the products I talk about and if I've helped you find a new favorite product. :)

Tanaya <3 

Greek Goddess - Obsessed with Fanny Crown

I came across this site Fanny Crown (such a funny and quirky name!) through the blogger contest they have and it was a bitter sweet moment for me. I instantly loved the concept of the site and almost every single dress on the site. However, I have been glued to my laptop screen staring at them ever since. Fanny Crown has been around since 1998 but their webstore is pretty new. They have offices in several parts of the world including UAE, Hong Kong, UK, USA, Australia and Paris. I read a few reviews of the website online and they were quite mixed so I guess it's one of those websites that you need to have an experience with to find out. However, I really love the concept of selecting a pattern and color and having a dress tailor-made to your size. The dresses on the site look like really expensive designer dresses that cost wayyyy beyond anything I can afford (and if you can, let's be friends :) Hahaha ) so the dresses on fanny crown are relatively much cheaper especially considering they're tailor-made.
 When I decided to create a whole look centered around their dress design, it was one of the most difficult decisions I've made in the past few days ( yes, I have a boring life where choosing a dress to make an imaginary outfit around is a huge moment of decisions ). The first bunch of words that came to my mind in the form of an abstract ides cloud were - Goddess, Elegance, Opulence, Classical Richness, Extravagance. My method of organizing such abstract idea clouds is by writing them down and connecting them much like a child playing connect-the-dots. In such special cases however, the magical website of Polyvore helps me out. So here's the outfit/look I put together and how I did it:

Greek Goddess by tanaya-tanaya-t featuring Dolce & Gabbana

I started by choosing this lovely peach dress from their website. A number of things attracted me to it the first of which was the color. I love everything PEACH! The color, the fragrance, the flavor...everything. Next was the beautiful flowy fabric of the dress. It seems like a very easy and comfortable dress to wear while looking like a beautiful goddess. It's the perfect combination of comfort, glamour and style. One of the best part about the dress is it's detail which adds that "classical greek goddess" element to it. There are beads, pearls and rhinestones around the collar and neckline and then the beautifully draped fabric gets cinched at the waist with another band of beads, pearls and rhinestones. The little keyhole is one of the best details in this dress. It isn't too revealing but it's just the right amount.
The next thing I added was the Dolce & Gabbana bag that I have been dreaming of for absolutely ages! It's just the bag of my dreams and coincidentally it matches the theme of the look. It has the grey and white scene of what looks like the pantheon while the wintery shade of plum flowers injects color to the bag. The gold details around the bag help tie it with the rest of the accessories. I picked the handcuff next which has the iconically greek vines on it. It's delicate and gold and fits in perfectly. If you notice, I've picked 2 pairs of earrings in this outfit mainly because I love them both and couldn't make myself pick one. The Versace ones on the left have an ornate gold and crystal pattern while the Laurent Gandini Corintio ones on the right go so well with the cuff. I've always been indecisive with earrings and that's why I have 2 piercings on each ear. Hahaha. The great thing about the embellished neckline of this dress is that it doesn't need any neckpiece. It's just fabulous on it's own and flaunts the collarbone. With the jewelry done, it was time to pick a shoe and I finalized on the simple strappy pumps after staring at lots of studded ones. Something about these just adds a touch of understated elegance.
Now onto makeup. The Dolce & Gabbana Bronzer was an obvious choice wasn't it? Every bronzed goddess needs her glow so a highlighting bronzer gets picked over any matt bronzer. The lace and baroque pattern just makes it the ideal product. After going with neutrals for the whole outfit, it was time to add some color so I chose a lovely plum shade by Estee Lauder which would look great on the fingertips wrapped around the bag with plum flowers. I chose the YSL Glossy stain in a dark red so as to add color to the overall look and tie the makeup look together with the outfit. The Naked 3 Palette was basically me cheating because I couldn't decide on a smokey eye or a mauve toned or a neutral look.

Sorry for the extremely long post but I hoped you liked it and all the details of creating it. Please let me know what you think about this post in the comments below because I love reading them. The comments just tell me that I'm not putting you off to sleep with my posts and that you're still enjoying them! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin', Facebook, Polyvore, Instagram and GFC.

Tanaya <3 p="">

Weekly Picks : The Really Delayed Pick

I haven't done a weekly picks post for many weeks now. But I hadn't been perusing online stores all that much at all recently. Lucky for my Indian readers, I was out shopping in India and there will be many posts about it soon. I read a tweet today by a follower that talked about SwayChic so I decided to check out the store. It is not the usual kind of online store that I would spend a lot of time looking at but it had quite a few lovely pieces! A majority of the products are quirky and I can shop for quirky things only when I'm in one of my weird moods. However, I found that there were some products that would look lovely and classy when styled right. So my pick for today is an ear cuff. I don't have any ear cuffs because I'm not sure that they would look good on me but I still love them. For those of you who wear ear cuffs or are looking to start wearing them, this one is a beautiful statement piece. The moment I saw it, my brain began styling it with all-white outfits, white blazers over elegant blue print tshirts/tops and the sort. There are millions of outfits that can be put together around this one piece of jewelry and I love it.

I like the colors and I'm seriously obsessed with embellishments and jewels so this seems perfect to me. It's available for $15.20 at http://bit.ly/1i5MipQ. So will you be getting this ear cuff? Tell me what you think of this weekly pick and whether you would be getting it in the comments below. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Bloglovin' , Polyvore, GFC and Instagram (Yes, I finally got Instagram! ). 

Happy Holidays!

Tanaya <3

Get Ready For The BA Star Sale

I did a review of the BA Star Holiday Red Lip Pencil a few weeks ago and I suggest that you read that post first and then come back to read this one. Go click on that link...now...go!

Okay so now that you have an idea of the BA Star products, you may read on.
BA Star are having a crazy sale from 48 hours prior to Thanksgiving. All their products - makeup, accessories and bling- will be for $2.99. The reason I love this brand so much is because their products have amazing pigmentation. They make makeup that is used by makeup artists for performances which means it's extra pigmented, long-lasting and lovely quality. So here's your chance to stock up! get everything you like or would want to try for $2.99. Also, don't forget about the exclusive discount code in my review post which will get you a flat 50% off. I'm not sure if it could be worth a try since it'll save you some serious dollars. Find all their products on http://www.bastar.com/

So are you planning on getting anything? Have a lovely holiday!

Tanaya <3

The Bath & Body Products Wishlist

Have you ever felt yourself walking involuntarily towards a The Body Shop, Loccitane or Crabtree and Evelyn store? Then, just by reading the fancy names of the flowers fruits and herbs that fragrance those luxurious moisturizers and hand creams your heart flutters? You try some of the body purees, body butters or body mists and instantly feel the urge...no....NEED to buy them all! Don't worry...if you have that experience, you're not alone. And this Body Products Wishlist is going to make you feel just like that. Let's get into it then

1. Nip + Fab's Pistachio Sundae body butter : pistachio flavors have suddenly started alluring me. Once I read about this body butter on Fleurdeforce I knew I need to get it. Unfortunately being in India just makes it harder to find unique products like this one.

2. Mor Lychee Flower Hand Cream : doesn't the packaging make you feel like Royalty? And the fact that I love lychees just makes this hand cream more desirable.

3. Avon Bubble Bath : it's a cute bottle and is available in lovely fruity scents. Bubbles just make you feel like a child again so how can you go wrong with a product that has bubbles?

4. Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Sun Defence for Face with SPF 50 : On my face sunscreens usually decide to change their purpose from sun Defence to causing pimples and irritated skin. But SPF is still pretty essential so I hope this Elizabeth Arden one can work some miracles for my skin

5.  The Caribbean Collection Coconut And Lime Body Lotion : I have the body mist and exfoliating shower gel from this collection and as soon as I started using them I regretted not buying the body lotion as well because now it just seems to be out of stock. It is an undeniably coconuty scent but the little zesty kick of lime makes it unique. Obsessed is the word.

6. The body shop's Chocomania Body Butter/Body Lotion : I HATE the cocoa butter Body Butter they have so I didn't expect much from the Chocomania Body Butter either. But then I tested it at the store and fell in love with it. So much so that I actually had a dream about it! I bought the Chocomania Lip Butter which smells as well as tastes divine! However, be warned that the Chocomania Deluxe Edition Body Butter is very different from the original one. I found the scent of the Deluxe Edition one too overwhelming so I don't recommend it. 

7. Elemis Spa @ Home Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow : This is the third product in my Wishlist that I have heard of from Fleurdeforce. I guess her writing style really inspires me and so do her beauty product picks. This is a pretty pricey, extravagant and indulgent product so I would think quite a few times before splurging on it if it weren't for the review Fleur did about it. 

8. Philosophy's Melon Daiquiri shampoo, bath and shower gel (for summer) / Philosophy's Ooey Gooey Cookie shampoo, bath and shower gel (for winter) : very specific isn't it? :p But if you're like me you would understand why I would need to be that specific. The kind of fragrances and products I like and use changes according to seasons. Melon Daiquiri sounds fresh and fruity like a summer product ought to be whereas Ooey Gooey Cookie sounds like a sweet and warm fragrance that would surround you like a fluffy blanket in the winter. Tempting. 

9. Lush Fresh Farmacy : Hello my friends with oily skin that is so prone to acne and spots because of all the oil! This bar of soap from lush claims to be our savior! Reviews say that Fresh Farmacy can banish acne and spots with just one wash. Sounds like magic....did Professor Snape pour in some magical potion into Fresh Farmacy? I guess I'll just have to use it to find out.

Well that's all for now. Lets see how many products I can tick off this list. If you've tried any of these products or if you have any recommendations for me, let me know in the comments below. 

T<3

The Skincare Wishlist

I'm really proud of myself for having stuck to my plans and being able to write the second post of this Wishlist series. The Makeup Wishlist was well-received and that makes me even happier and more excited to be continuing the series. Taking extra care of our skin is the price we pay for constantly trying new products. Here is a list of a few products that were created to repair, restore and even pamper our skin. 

1. Bioderma Micellar Solution : it may come as no surprise that this is the first product in my skincare Wishlist. This cleanser is said be a magic-makeup-removing-water. The science behind it is that the Micelles in this water cling on to the makeup particles and the makeup slides right off. It's the same concept as that of soap but in the form of this magical makeup removing potion that is great for the skin.

2.La-Roche Posay Physiological Micellar Solution : sounds similar to Bioderma doesn't it? That's what attracted me to this product. And also the fact that its by La-Roche Posay which is possibly my favorite skincare brand at the moment. La-Roche Posay products have a reputation of having perfect texture, formulation and basically of being lifechanging skincare products. 

3.Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion : the packaging is pretty cute. After trying Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion I've been on the lookout for another Cleansing Lotion that I can use for comparison. I guess everything in life is about comparisons and competitions and so I felt the weird need to compare Cetaphil to another cleansing lotion.

4. Rosehip oil : I am no stranger to the use of Tea Tree oil for clearing blemishes and just maintaining a glowing complexion. In fact, Tea Tree oil is my go-to product  for when my skin begins to act up. Therefore, I was fascinated when I heard of the benefits of Rosehip oil and I'm curious to know whether its better than my beloved Tea Tree oil. Also, Miranda Kerr recently credited Rosehip oil for her perfect skin.

5. Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel : I've read wonderful reviews of this peel and it sounds fruity. I'm eager to try this product and I will definitely post a review as soon as I try it out!

6.Frésh Black Tea Perfecting Mask : drinking Tea is probably the most refreshing moments of my day. I love tea and I also love to pamper my skin with a few masks. So if you tell me there's a product that combines these 2 things I'm going to be looking for it everywhere until I find it

7.Hydra Veil from Illamasqua's summer collection : it's been quite a long time since this product released but unfortunately Illamasqua isn't available in India and I had to satisfy myself with reading reviews of the Hydra Veil for the time being. The texture looks pretty unique and its supposed to be a quick fix for fussy skin.

8. Nivea's Express Hydration primer : this is a moisturizing primer and is available in 2 variations according to the type of skin. They do have a formulation for oily or combination skin which is great news since I often find common moisturizers a bit too heavy for my skin.

9.Urban Decay's De-slick makeup setting spray : this is the product my skin really really needs. I feel like makeup just slides off my skin within an hour or something. If you've got oily skin like me, I recommend that you try this out too.

10. Caudalie's 'Eau de Beaute' Beauty Elixir : I first heard of this "Beauty Elixir" from a video by Fleurdeforce. Unfortunately, it's not necessarily the easiest thing to find. 

So that's my list of the skincare products I wish I had. But don't feel too sorry for me because being the shopaholic that I am, I've already planned to get quite a few of them. Tell me what are the skincare products on your Wishlist and if you have tried any of the little miracle products listed above tell me what you thought of them. 

T<3