Stepping out of my comfort zone

Skirt - Forever 21, Top - Redress, Shoes - Hong Kong street market, Bag - Colaba Causeway, Rings - H&M, Bracelet (old) - The Snob Shop

So I shot this look back in August in Mumbai. And all this while I've been contemplating whether to post it on the blog or not because I wasn't particularly happy with the way the pictures turned out. I don't know whether it was the location or the light, but something just didn't work for me. 

I finally came to a conclusion and decided to post them anyway, because my main motive behind this shoot was that I had to actually come out of my comfort zone with this outfit and I wanted to talk to you guys about that. 

I may keep telling you'll and even encouraging some of you to experiment with different colours and styles, but when it comes to the colour red, I haven't really practiced what I preach haha! I don't know why that is, but I've never been comfortable wearing anything red. The closest I ever got to red was oxblood. I've never even worn a bright red lipstick or nail paint up until recently because I believe it doesn't suit me. This is shocking for many people, but although I'm a pretty big lipstick hoarder, I don't own a red lipstick and I'm still not comfortable with getting one for myself. I do want to get a nice one someday, but I don't think that's happening anytime soon! 

I was looking for an outfit for my birthday, and while browsing the Forever 21 store at Oberoi Mall, I came across this skirt and thought that maybe it could be a subtle way of starting to wear red. The patchwork print tones the red down and gives a nice break in the colour. I had planned to wear a black crop top with it for a family lunch. On the day of the lunch though, I couldn't find the top. My room and closet were way too messy and I was getting late. It was then that I decided to pair this red crop top with the skirt instead. It had been lying in my closet for a while and I'd never worn it. It's actually a little darker shade of red than the skirt, but together I think they worked well. 

Being honest, I was not confident at all when I wore this outfit. But as time passed, I started to feel better. It may not have been a proper red outfit, but it was a start. And for me, that was saying something. After this, I even did a post wearing a red skirt and had my nails painted red for almost a month! Do you have any colour or trend that you simply cannot wear? Tell me about it and I'll try to help you out!

P.S. The winner of the Benefit mascara giveaway is Aashna Khan (instagram : aashnakhan9020)! 

Congratulations! Please email your contact details and address to info.shopsnob@gmail.com.

Huge Benefit Cosmetics Haul + Review + Giveaway!

Hello everyone!

I know that this post has been long overdue, and I apologise for the delay. Along with the haul for myself, I had bought a little something for you guys from Benefit for a giveaway. And I had to courier that to India before I could post this. Anyway, long story short, everything's done and I've finally been able to post my haul!

Okay, so makeup has been a recent addition to my list of unhealthy obsessions. Ever since I've started taking more care of my hair and skin than before, I've been pretty hooked onto anything to do with beauty products! Me being the visual person I am, the packaging and names of Benefit products have always amazed me. Sadly, Mumbai doesn't have a Sephora or any other place where we can get all Benefit Cosmetics products, so the only time I ever got access to them was when I was travelling. In July, I just happened to go on to Benefit's website and I read that they ship internationally! And for free! There is a minimum order of 125 dollars though, but I think if you're anyway going to spend on Benefit cosmetics, you'd may as well order a few things you want at one go and avail the free shipping. Hopefully this post will make it easier for you to know a little more about a few of their products and maybe even help you make a decision on what you'd like to get for yourself!

Before I placed my order, I went through customer feedbacks and found that some of them mentioned having gotten damaged products due to improper packaging. And if you've ever visited the Mumbai post office, you'll know that they just toss your package around the place without bothering about what's inside. I didn't want to take a chance with my order, so I chose the option of a gift box. It was an additional few dollars, but it turned out to be a wise decision since the order reached me 45 days later and the box was pretty damaged and dented by the time I got it. I didn't get charged any duty, but I think I just got lucky in that matter. 

I turned 21 in August, and this was part of my birthday haul, even though it didn't really reach in time. Turning 21 was the perfect excuse for a little indulgence! Anyway, let's get to the haul now.

The packaging was amazing and I just had to post pictures of it. The lid said 'Beauty's on the inside', and I think I fell in love with the order even before I'd opened the box!

1. High Beam

I've started contouring and highlighting recently, especially for shoots. I've only ever owned one highlighter before, which was from Colorbar, and it didn't really impress me. So I decided to order this one. I've used it a couple of times now, and I may not be much of a beauty expert, but I think it works really well!

2. It's Potent! Eye Cream

I have a huge dark circle problem. I literally feel like I have panda eyes sometimes. And my eyes are super puffy in the mornings. For the past year now, I've been looking for a good eye cream that would help me with the same. I know that you cannot get rid of dark circles without procedures, but if an eye cream says it will help with dark circles, I'll try it. This cream claims to help fade dark circles. I used it for 2 weeks, and I didn't like it. It stings my eyes every time I use it no matter how careful I am and so I had to finally stop. The packaging was super cute and I was really hoping it would help. If any of you have used this and it works for you, please let me know so I can give it a try again. 

3. Lolli Tint

Benefit is pretty well known for their lip and cheek tints, especially the Benetint. I've always liked pink blushes more than red, so I decided to give this one a go. The Lolli Tint had me at the packaging. I didn't even need to use it to fall in love. But honestly, it's an amazing product! And if you use the Benetint, you may wanna give this a shot too!

4. They're Real Mascara Deluxe mini

Now this is my favourite Benefit product! I've never used a mascara that's worked the way this one has! I already have the full size, and so I got a smaller size to carry around in my bag since I love it so much. If you're looking for the perfect mascara, your search ends here.

5. Stay Don't Stray

Although the rest of my skin is more towards dry/combination, the area around my eyes is extremely oily. No concealer or waterproof eyeliner stays for more than an hour or two and I'm constantly looking for products that would help me. This product is especially meant for concealer under the eyes. I tried it for 2 days last week, and it did not work. Not at all. I was super disappointed. It's still okay to use just to brighten the area under your eyes, but as a primer for concealer, I wouldn't recommend it. 

6. Erase Paste

If you've read any of my beauty related posts before, you'll know I have a huge acne problem. Which means I have loads of acne scars. And along with the gorgeous packaging (it comes with a cute little spatula), this product is pretty good too! It's not the best concealer I've used, but it does a good job and I really like it. I'm in the shade 2.

7. The Porefessional

Although I don't really have large pores, this product is a holy grail for me! It's probably the best primer ever. I never used to use primers before, but once you start using this, trust me you cannot apply your makeup without it! If I could only get one product from Benefit, this would be it. Or I'd probably be a little confused between this and the mascara. But trust me, once you've got it on your face, your makeup literally goes on like a dream. It's the silkiest primer ever! If you use primers or are looking for a good one, try this. Thank me later! Also, bonus points for the packaging!

8. First Class Flirts

I can't link this product for you, because sadly, this kit is not available anymore. I've linked the full sizes of each of the products though. I ordered this kit because it had tiny sizes of so many Benefit products that I wanted to try. And also because I cannot resist mini sized makeup products! This kit comes with the following products :

Benetint - Being one of Benefit's famous products, I don't think this needs much of a review. It's perfect to achieve naturally flushed looking cheeks and the small size makes it easy to carry around and use on the go!

Total Moisture - This moisturiser really helped me on a flight I took recently. Since flights tend to dehydrate our skin, this travel size cream was so handy! It does the same job as any regular moisturiser for your face though, so I wouldn't be purchasing a full size.

Porefessional - A cute little travel size version of my favourite Benefit product. Need I say more?

That Gal - This brightening face primer is actually really nice, but since I'm so biased to the Porefessional, I just cannot use any other primer!

Watt's up - I LOVE this product and I wish I'd got a full size of it. I'm just going to leave it at that.

Dandelion - This is a really light pink blush, and I think it compliments my skin tone really well. It looks natural and is perfect for the lazy days when you don't want to wear makeup. I just put a little of this on my cheeks and I'm good to go! I'm not too sure if I'll get a full size though, maybe because I don't need another blush right now. 

Now, coming to the part you've all been waiting for! Since I love it so much, I'm giving one of you a full size version of the Benefit They're Real Mascara! Here's what you gotta do to win :

- Follow me on Instagram or Twitter. 

- Repost a picture of the product you liked the most from this post and use the hashtag #snobgiveaway

- Don't forget to tag me! Also make sure your Instagram profile is public so I can view your entries! Winner will be randomly picked and announced next week! Good luck!

Lace x Leather x Leopard

Skirt, Bag and Shoes - Forever 21 (Mumbai), Jacket - Manish Market (Andheri), Top, Necklace - H&M

If you don't know this already, leopard prints are probably my all time favourites! I especially love teaming them up with autumnal colours like oxblood and taupes. I bought this leopard print skater skirt from Forever 21 a few months back. It goes well with so many colours and outfits and I absolutely love it! If you happen to follow me on Instagram, I've worn it two different ways before, and here's another (probably not the last!). I teamed my skirt with a lace tank top and necklace that I got from H&M. It can get pretty cold in the evenings, which is why I wore my black tights. To be honest, I wear tights every chance I get because in Mumbai, even on the coldest of days there's hardly a need for them. I then threw on my tan leather jacket to complete the look. One of the reasons I wait for it to start getting chilly is so I can throw on all the leather pieces from my closet!

I wore this look for breakfast over the weekend and the shoot was completely unplanned! The light seemed to work and we just took a few shots which I decided to use for a post. Don't forget to let me know what you guys think of this look in the comments section below!

P.S. The winners of my giveaway are Richa Kotadia, Natasha Suresh, Rinky Garg and Sneha Singh. All of the things you guys wrote were so amazing, and thank you so much for participating, but sadly there could only be 4 winners. There are going to be so many more giveaways coming your way, so don't get disheartened! If you've won, please email your address and contact info to info.shopsnob@gmail.com.

Have a great weekend lovelies! xx

My ombré hair care routine

Hello everyone! 

I wanted to do a post on my hair care routine since a really long time, but it's not until now that I'm actually happy with my routine and I've found the right products for my hair. To be honest, I never used to pay much attention to my hair in the past. Even my skin actually. I'd never use conditioner unless I felt that my hair was getting really dry. I'd just use a shampoo and some Moroccan oil and I was done. I always wanted long hair that looked perfect, but I was just too lazy to work towards it. 

I don't really know why or how, but recently I just decided to start taking better care of my hair and skin, and in these past few months there have been so many noticeable changes that I just wish I'd started earlier.

To begin with, my hair has always been very dry. After taking proper care for the past few months I can see it getting better, but there are still a few days when my hair looks and feels drier than usual. 

As you can see in the picture above, I have ombré hair. And no matter how much anyone may tell you that it doesn't really harm your hair, it does. You're basically bleaching the ends of your hair and stripping it off it's colour. The reason I currently like it is because I just think it looks really nice and different. So, if you have ombré hair, you need to take extremely good care of it because it's already damaged and you don't want it getting worse. 

I ombré'd my hair a month back in Mumbai at the Jean-Claude Biguine salon. My hair was coloured by Nadeem, who was recommended to me by a dear friend and I was pretty happy with the results. I've never mentioned this before, but I have loads of grey hair. I don't know why that is, maybe it's genetic, but I have to keep going to the salon every 3-4 weeks to touch up the grey roots. I did my touch up and ombre on the same day using L'oreal products. For touch up, Nadeem used the colours 5 and 6.3 in equal parts with 20 volume which matches my natural hair colour. And for my ombré, he used Ombré Infinium with 20 volume again. After washing the colour off, he used a toner in 8.31. Please bear with me if I haven't used any of the terms above correctly, I just tried to understand the basics and noted the colours he used. 

If you have dyed blonde, ombré or even highlighted hair, you need to take more care of it than normal. I usually switch between 2-3 different shampoos. On days when my scalp is not really greasy but I feel like it needs a cleanse, I use the Forest Essentials Honey and Vanilla hair cleanser. Other days I use the TIGI S-factor Smoothing Shampoo or the Bed Head by TIGI Urban Antidotes Recovery Level 2 shampoo. It's not very easy for me to find shampoos that work for my hair, so when I do find them, I usually stick to them. After my shampoo, I use the TIGI S-factor Smoothing conditioner. Once a week, usually on the weekends and if I'm not too lazy, I oil my hair with The Body Shop Rainforest Coconut hair oil. I also use the Kerastase Reflection Chroma Captive Shine Intensifying Masque as a deep conditioner once a week. After washing my hair, I use either Moroccan oil or the TIGI S-Factor Smoothing Lusterizer and let my hair air dry. If you're someone who uses heat styling tools on a regular basis, do not take heat protectant spray lightly. It's basically an essential. Before I use styling tools on my hair, I use the John Freida Frizz Ease Heat Defeat Protective Styling spray. Also, some days when I'm running late and don't have time to shampoo my hair, I spray on some Batiste dry shampoo in dark and deep brown and run out the door. Now I know that most of these products are not cheap, but I've tried using so many products on my hair, and these are the only ones that seem to work for me, and I don't want to compromise on my hair care since I've already neglected it way too much in the past.

Also, I've heard a lot of people recommend purple shampoos and conditioners for dyed blonde hair, and I wanted to know if any of you guys have tried them and if I should give them a shot. Do let me know in the comments! I've mentioned where you can get each of the products below. I hope this post helped you in some way. Have a great Sunday!

P.S : There's a giveaway on my Instagram account featuring Ziveg, make sure to participate! Also, the picture above is part of a fun shoot I did recently and the entire look will be up on the blog some time soon!

Forest Essentials Honey & Vanilla hair cleanser - Find it at any of the Forest essentials stores or order it online here.

TIGI S-factor Smoothing Shampoo - Can be found at Beautiful in Bandra or Andheri, or online here.

Bed Head by TIGI Urban Antidotes Recovery Level 2 shampoo - Can be found at Beautiful in Bandra or Andheri or at Beauty Palace in Mumbai, or online here.

TIGI S-factor Smoothing conditioner - Can be found at Beautiful in Bandra or Andheri, or online here.

The Body Shop Rainforest Coconut hair oil - Available at The Body Shop stores.

Kerastase Reflection Chroma Captive Shine Intensifying Masque - Bought from Jean Claude Biguine. Available at many salons in India.

Moroccan Oil - Available at most stores that sell beauty products and selected salons in India.

TIGI S-Factor Smoothing Lusterizer - Available here.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Dark and Deep Brown - Available here.

John Freida Frizz Ease Heat Defeat Protective Styling spray - Available at Beautiful, or online here.

The little things

Skirt - Forever 21, Top - Shimmer (Lokhandwala), Hat & earrings - H&M, Jacket - China street market, Shoes - Primark

Hello everyone!

In case you've been wondering where I've been for almost three weeks, my college has started and I've been super busy. In case you haven't been wondering, kindly bear with me for a bit. So, many of you asked me how it is to study at London College of Fashion and how I applied and what course I'm doing. I'm studying International Preparation for Fashion, and so far, the course is a lot of fun! It's a little hectic though. Also, as far as my application goes, I applied through Edwise. My counsellor's name was Devjani at the Malad branch in Mumbai. Edwise helped me with everything, right from the application process to my portfolio and even the visa application! In case any of you want to study abroad, you should definitely check them out.

Also, I recently hit 20k followers on Instagram! It's just so amazing and unbelievable! I simply cannot thank you guys enough for choosing to follow me and reading my blog. It means so much. I could never be where I am without you'll, so again thank you!

This post was initially supposed to be only about autumn and my favourite trends this season, but I'm just in a very positive frame of mind and everything around me is suddenly inspiring me so much, that I wanted to pass some of my happiness on to you! (In case you're only interested in the styling part of this post, you may just wanna skip to the last paragraph!)

The simplest of pleasures in life are often overlooked. This is something that almost all of us do, including myself. The feeling of pure joy when you wake up before your alarm goes off and you realise you have more time to sleep, or finding money in your pocket you never knew you had, or even hearing your favourite song randomly on the radio! The way your heart melts when you play with puppies. Or meeting a loved one after a long time. Making someone smile, or complimenting someone, even a stranger, brings so much happiness to our lives. There are so many things that can make your day instantly, but go unnoticed.

Once you start looking for these moments, you'll actually be a much happier and positive person. Appreciate the little joys around you. They're probably right under your nose! For my giveaway this week, I'm giving away Primark goodies! Since we don't have a Primark in India, I did a little shopping for you guys! I'm giving away the jewellery shown in the picture below to 4 people! All you gotta do to enter is list 5 little things that bring joy in your life in the comments below. Also, make sure you're following me on Instagram and Twitter as well. Winners will be announced here next week. So stay tuned!

Finally coming to the outfit now. Autumn is here! It's time for all the bold berry lips, fall colours and of course Pumpkin Spiced Lattes at Starbucks! I fall in love with oxblood, mustard and subdued earthy tones every autumn. And not to forget anything plaid of course! This look was shot back when the weather here in London felt more like summer than fall. I wore this oxblood skater skirt that I got from Forever 21 with a basic white crop top and boots. I've been pretty obsessed with floppy hats this season, and my leopard one just put the whole look together perfectly.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post. If you've got any favourite trends this season that you'd like to share, don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Twitter!