Roop Cafe Giveaway Winner: Sothys Desquacrem and Spicy Shower Gel

Thanks to all the Roop Cafe readers that entered the Sothys giveaway for the Desquacrem and the Spicy Shower Gel!

And our winners are......

DALIA H. - Sothys Desquacrem

Anntje - Sothys Spicy Shower Gel

Congratulations (I sort of feel like a game show host!!) to our winners and looking forward to hosting more giveaways!

Jemma Kidd Makeup School Iridescent Eye Silk Crayon

Hi ladies! Sorry for the delay in my posts...I was out of town this weekend and the travel became more hectic than I thought - but I am back now!

I did a little bit of makeup shopping on Saturday and found a great product that I wanted to share with you - its the Jemma Kidd Makeup School Iridescent Eye Silk Crayon. Quite a long name!!

I have a love of all types of eye pencils (you already probably got that from my pseudonym) but I especially love chubby eye pencils. Of all the chubby eye pencils I have tried, the Jemma Kidd Iridescent Eye Silk Crayon is one of the best I have tried!!

First, the Crayon has a fabulous texture. Just like the name implies, it literally glides on, very softly and almost like silk. There was absolutely no tugging at all during the application. The texture is great if you want to line eyes or if you want to smudge the product into the eyelid like a shadow.

Second, the Crayon comes in a range of extremely pretty colors that are especially well suited to spring - Mercury (silvery white), Jade (jade green), Amethyst (royal purple), Tigers Eye (very dark brown) and Ocean (turquoise).

I tried on both the Tigers Eye and Amethyst. Tigers Eye was a great everyday color that went on easily and was smudgeable. As for Amethyst, I am recommending this shade to all you brown-eyed ladies out there!! Sorry, I tried finding a pic of the Crayon in Amethyst so you could see it but I could not find anything. Regardless, my friends loved the color on me and it really made my brown eyes pop.

So if you are looking for a great new eye pencil in something other than boring black, the Jemma Kidd Iridescent Eye Silk Crayon is a must have, especially in the Amethyst shade!!

Battle of the Drugstore Hair Mousse: Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Mousse and L'Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Curls Mousse

Another product battle!! I love writing these posts that suss out the differences between two seemingly similar products!

Those of you with wavy or curly hair that need some hold to define your style without the crunch factor should try using hair mousse this spring rather than a gel (save it for the summer) or a cream (which tends not to have hold). Coating your strands with a bit of mousse is a good way to keep the frizzies at bay especially during those April showers. So which drugstore mousse won when I ran my experiment?

Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Mousse

Don't you love it when something you have very little expectations of suprises you?! When I grabbed this Aussie mousse at the drugstore, I was really just in need of a basic mousse that delivered hold. Well, this mousse delivers that and more. First, while there is hold with this product, there is surprisingly no crunch factor despite the term "freeze" in the name - I was left with soft, yet defined curls. Second, and a plus factor, is that I felt that the product moisturized my hair better than a lot of styling products that I have used in recent months. As a result, my hair looked shinier than normal while retaining some body.

Ingredients: Water , Isobutane , Polyquaternium-4 , Propane , Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract Australian White Ginger , Prunus Serotina Bark Extract Wild Cherry , Humulus Lupulus Extract Hops , Propylene Glycol , Fragrance , C9-11 Pareth-8 , DMDM Hydantoin , Disodiium EDTA , Panthenol , Citric Acid

L'Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Curls Mousse

I almost always get tricked by packaging of beauty products - I was almost certain that the gold-tinted exterior of the L'Oreal mousse would result in better hair results than the Aussie mousse. Boy, was I wrong! Now, to be fair, the L'Oreal product was not bad -just mediocre. I found that it did not provide as much hold as I would have liked and it did not provide much moisture - in fact, it had a tendency to dry out my hair like a hair gel. And I'm always disappointed when the name of the product does not match up to the results - no glossy curls here unfortunately!

Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Isobutane, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Propane, Phenoxyethanol, Triacetin, Polyquaternium 4, Aminomethyl Propanol, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Polysorbate 20, Methylparaben, PEG 40, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat protein, Amodimethicone, Linalool, 2 Oleamido 1, 3 Octadecanediol, Quaternium 87, Trideceth 12, Limonene, Citronellol, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Hydroxyisohexyl 3 Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Cetrimonium Chloride

THE WINNER: Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Mousse

Roop Ki Rani: Madhubala

Finally, the first installment of the Roop ki Rani beauty icon series...Seeing as this blog was started by two desi women, I had to start with a desi beauty icon - the incomparable Madhubala.

Aishwarya Rai may be dubbed "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World," but even today Hindi film actress Madhubala is widely regarded as possibly the most beautiful actress that Bollywood has produced. She starred in a number of Hindi films in the 1950s and 1960s, including Basant, Mahal and the ever famous Mughal-e-Azam.

Interestingly, in the 1950s, Madhubala attracted attention from Hollywood. U.S. filmmaker Frank Capra had proposed a meeting to discuss Madhubala's welcome into Hollywood although her father was against this and thus ended any hopes for her in Hollywood.

Here is a You Tube video of one of the most renowned songs from Mughal-e-Azam...her dancing is just amazing!

In the present, Madhubala still ranks at the top of polls and surveys as one of the most popular Hindi film actresses ever, most likely due to her ability to change characters in her films so convincingly, from courtesan to heiress to village girl. Wikipedia states that no other vintage Hindi film actress has as large of a video sharing presence on You Tube as Madhubala.

Although our image of Hindi film of the past is a conservative one, Madhubala actually broke some barriers by portraying western and even vamped up characters in her films - a bold move in India back in the 1950s!!

Sadly, Madhubala's love life wasn't without conflict and she passed away at a fairly young age due to illness.

As for her beauty looks, Madhubala pulled off the traditional kajal lined heroine just as well as the red-lipstick'd siren. Her eyebrows were well defined for facial expression, similar to the Hollywood actresses of her time. Her hair was often put up or into braids depending on her role, but with noticeable curls framing her face.

Notice in her photos that a white liner was often used to line the lower waterline to make her eyes look larger. This is a trick that was used back in the old days and even now to draw attention to the eyes! For Madhubala's films, however, this trick was especially significant where emotions and expressions were sometimes only conveyed through the eyes rather than through body language.

Biography info via Wikipedia

Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain

I've been dying to try the Pat McGrath-created Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain and the Walgreens by where I live finally stocked the stains. As proof that women are gaga over this product, every single one of the lipstain products was gone when I stopped by the Walgreens with the exception of one lipstain in Bit of Blossom.

Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain comes in bright markers with a felt tip. At first it was a little weird to apply what looks like a magic marker to the lips but the lipstain is so easy to use, I quickly got over it.

To apply, simply take the marker and outline lips first and then go over the line with your finger to rub it in a bit. Then, fill in lips with the marker until all areas of the lips are filled in. Press lips together and you're done. Above is my lips, one coat of the Cover Girl Lipstain and below is two coats of the Cover Girl Lipstain.

After applying the stain, you can either wear it alone, apply lipstick or a colored lip gloss to kick up the color a bit or apply a clear lip gloss for a more natural look. The stain is a bit drying so if you're used to using gloss, like me, you might want to try a bit of gloss on top for moisture. Below is the Cover Girl Lipstain with one coat of berry lipstick.

Like other stains, Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain is great for women who would like to try bright lip colors but are wary of trying anything too opaque in texture. Plus, there is no need to worry about embrassing smudges on your teeth with this.

Roop Cafe Giveaway: Sothys Desquacrem and Spicy Shower Gel

Happy Saturday, ladies!! To start off the weekend on a great note, Roop Cafe will be doing its first giveaway!!

The giveaway is for French skincare brand Sothys' Desquacrem and Spicy Shower Gel. There will be 2 winners - one winner will receive Sothys' Desquacrem and the other winner will receive Sothys' Spicy Shower Gel.

For this giveaway, simply list a comment in the comments section with your email address or email me at kohlgirl@gmail.com and we will select the two winners at random! This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (sorry, I know I have some great readers outside of the U.S. as well so I will work on this for future giveaways). The giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday, March 29th!

Desquacreme is a deep pore face treatment that has clarifying and astringent active ingredients to help eliminate persistent deep impurities, including sebum trapped in skin follicle, and to help create a radiant complexion. It comes in the form of an emulsion and is meant to be used after regular cleansing to remove impurities without the harshness of an exfoliant. More importantly, Desquacrem has gotten consistently great reviews on Makeupalley for being able to remove blackheads and other clogged pores. Price: $30 for 1.69 oz.

Spicy Shower Gel is a cleansing amber gel with spicy hints that leaves the skin soft and delicately scented. Per the website, the gel "contains a high concentration of natural active ingredients derived from essential oils which gives exceptional effects on the body, mind and soul. The power of essential oils such as Cinnamon, Cardaman, Ginger, Cloves, Mandarin and Nutmeg, work its way through the layers of the skin providing it with moisture, improving skin’s elasticity, increasing the suppleness of the skin and creating a protective film to the skin, whilst maintaining a sensational aroma which energizes the body and mind…." Price: $24 for 8 oz.

Padma Lakshmi in Ocean Drive Magazine February 2009

For any Padma Lakshmi fans out there, the Top Chef hostess graced the February 2009 cover of Miami based Ocean Drive magazine. The photos and poses aren't particularly ground breaking...I would have loved to see a outdoor setting like Kareena's Harper's Bazaar cover, but Padma looks pretty and the clothes are nice and spring-y!

via Ocean Drive Magazine

TIGI Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo

I'm not normally an advocate of not grooming oneself, such as skipping a shampoo. However, there are circumstances, such as running late or being lazy (both of which factor heavily in my life), when you are entitled to exit your home with slightly less than clean hair.

So, then, what to do about hiding your less than clean hair from the masses?

In a conundrum one night when I was due to meet friends in a measly 20 minutes, I grabbed a can of TIGI Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo and sprayed it on my roots. And magically, my greasies disappeared with a few sprays!

To use, basically shake the can, position it a few inches away from your head, and spray onto your roots. The product comes out slightly whitish but once you run a brush or fingers through the hair, the product disappears.

For me, the results of the product were fantastic. Any oiliness at my roots disappeared instantly. Also, the dry shampoo has a slightly flowery smell which helps mask smoke smells. The product does mattify the hair a bit so you lose some shine at the roots, but hey, its better than greasiness!

Besides being great for extending a blowout or other hairstyle for one more day, the Dirty Secret dry shampoo would be great for updos where you need a little bit of texture to make the style "hold."

I paid around $18 for Dirty Secret dry shampoo but I found it here for a little more than $16.

Lakshmi Menon in Dazed and Confused Magazine April 2009

Lakshmi Menon hits the April 2009 cover of Dazed and Confused magazine. The use of bold colors and gold and bronze metallics against the solid colored background creates a really stunning editorial, in my opinion.

From a beauty perspective, Lakshmi works the gold monochromatic look well. To get Lakshmi's gilded eyes, apply a white gold eye shadow such as MAC Shadow in Femme Fi or Nylon to the eyes (apply wet, for additional drama).

Guerlain "Kiss Kiss" Lip Swatches

I recently had the privilege of trying some samples of Guerlain KissKiss lip products...normally, the Guerlain counter isn't my first pit stop when I go beauty shopping but I have to say that I really enjoyed the texture and colors of the KissKiss products - and I love the name!

Here are four of the products I tried:


KissKiss Stick Gloss 940 Vanilla Beige - This actually felt like more of a lipstick than a gloss so I would dub it a "cream" gloss which comes in a tube. The color pay off was quite good and it was super moisturizing.

KissKiss Maxi Shine Lipstick 621 Cherry Shine - You can't tell from the photo, but in real life, Cherry Shine looks like the same exact color as the ruby red slippers in the Wizard of Oz. It is a really beautiful color that would look great on all skin tones.

Guerlain KissKiss Gloss 865 Rose Tentation - A pretty pink gloss but with pigmented lips, I think this was too light for me. The texture was great though.

Guerlain KissKiss Lipstick in 523 Exces de Rouge - And finally, this product was without a doubt, the most fire engine red lip color I have ever worn! Sephora describes it as a "berry red" but on me, it was definitely a fire engine red. This product would take some serious confidence - it was fun to wear at home but I don't know if I could pull it off outside the confines of my home! The texture was superb though and I can't wait to try the other colors.

Q & A with Sebastian Hair Stylist Daniel de la Cerda

I imagine that one of the best things about being a model or actress is having access to the best hair stylists and makeup artists in the business at your fingertips. How amazing would it be to call up a beauty whiz when you have a bad hair day or an unsightly blemish?

While celebritydom just wasn't my destiny, I few weeks ago I had the chance to send my own urgent beauty questions on all my hairy issues straight to Daniel de la Cerda, member of the Sebastian Professional Stylist Team at Fall ’09 New York Fashion Week. Daniel worked on the Charlotte Ronson and Diego Binetti shows, to name a few, and below, spills the beans on how to replicate similar looks, some hot products from Sebastian and how to get your hair in shape.

Daniel is senior stylist at the Robert Jeffrey Salon in Chicago so if any of you are in town and need a hair overhaul, consider stopping by to see him!

Charlotte Ronson

Roop Cafe: I love the look at Charlotte Ronson but a major issue women face in putting hair up into sleek ponytails or updos are those pesky baby hairs and flyaways that make the hair look less than smooth. However, when I apply a shine serum or hairspray to the hair, it just gets greasy. What do you recommend?

Daniel de la Cerda: To get rid of pesky flyaways I'd recommend a few things. First, apply a small amount of Sebastian Professional Trilliant to dry hair and flat iron only what is going in the ponytail. Be sure to apply spray to even the shortest hairs around the hairline. Sebastian Professional Trilliant will protect against heat and enhance your hair’s shine factor. Then once the hair has been tied back, hold Sebastian Professional Shine Define hairspray about 6-8 inches away and apply for finishing touches. If you feel there is not enough shine, you can also use Sebastian Professional Halo Mist to finish.

RC: Without a doubt, within a few hours of putting my hair up in a ponytail or bun, it begins to loosen and unravel. What's the best way to make the style last for more for than a few hours?

DC: For a longer lasting ponytail and/or bun try the following. First, make sure to use a boar bristle brush on dry hair to help with a smoother finish. Again, pre-smoothing with a flat iron or flat brush can help. Sebastian Professional Shine Define hairspray can assist in the final stage as a finishing tool. It’s not greasy and will give you a flexible, brushable hold.

RC: Tell me about how the Trilliant Spray works. What makes it superior to other shine spray and thermal protectants?

DC: Sebastian Professional Trilliant is superior to others because of its technology. It has a three-part ratio that protects hair against heat while applying condition. It also provides light body to the hair and has amazing shine. It’s fabulous for retouches and great for blowouts and hot iron work. It’s a very versatile product!

Diego Binetti

RC: How did you curl the hair at the Diego Binetti show? Do you recommend using a small barrel iron or curlers?

DC: For the Diego Binetti show we first applied a liberal amount of Sebastian Professional Mousse Forte to damp hair and blow dried. Once dry, small sections of hair were curled around a small barrel curling iron. Sections (especially around the hairline) were over-directed for maximum lift and sprayed with Sebastian Professional Shaper Zero Gravity hairspray. Once curled, the hair was let down and pushed back to create a messy look. We also changed the part of each model’s hair based on their individual faces. The hair was then tucked under and pinned to create a "bob effect" within the shape. Pieces were left a bit messy to create an ethereal affect and a more modern finish. Some asymmetry was used for added visual interest.

RC: I have pretty curly hair to start with. Let's say I just don't have time to blow dry out and then curl. Can I achieve a similar look starting with my natural texture and if so, how?

DC: To create a similar effect on naturally curly hair, simply apply a little Sebastian Professional Whipped Crème. This will define the curls and create separation. Do so on dry hair and push back the curls to create an interior cushion. Start to pin the hair for support and tuck the ends under. Finish with Sebastian Professional Re Shaper or Shaper Zero Gravity hairspray to finish the look and apply Sebastian Professional Halo Mist for soft shine.

General Questions:

RC: I'm in my late 20s and I've noticed a lot of hair fall recently as have my friends. What is the cause, how do we prevent additional hair fall and what do we do to stop current hair fall?

DC: Hair loss can come from a number of things. It can stem from genetics, which is generally called alopecia. If the hair is coming out excessively contact your local dermatologist. Stress can be a factor in losing hair as can the porosity and condition of the hair. Over-processed hair can become brittle and therefore break off.

RC: Imagine your model has a mass of thick, black curlyish hair that absorbs light like a black hole (this is me). What do I do to achieve shine on a daily basis with my natural texture without the grease?

DC: For some rocking curls with no grease follow these simple steps. Apply some Sebastian Professional Whipped Crème to damp hair and work the product around small sections first. Try to twist each section in different directions to create movement. Lay the curls down and be sure not to disrupt them. Follow up with a diffuser and dry the hair. Make sure not to run your fingers through the hair until hair is almost dry. Also, remember to lift the hair at the crown and around the hairline to create volume at the base. Once the hair is dry, start to separate the curls with your fingers and lift for fullness. If you feel you'd like more shine apply Sebastian Professional Halo Mist and Sebastian Professional Shaper Zero Gravity hairspray to hold.

Also, check out this video of Daniel at New York Fashion Week!

Steal the Look: Kareena Kapoor's Makeup at Amrita's Arora's Wedding Reception

Is it terrible that I'm doing a post on Kareena Kapoor's makeup look at Amrita Arora's own wedding reception?? I'd have to say its Kareena's fault for looking like a bride herself at her good friend's wedding. Isn't Kareena's lengha stunning? Typically one to stick to a simple makeup look, Kareena went for a dark green eyeliner to complement the subtle green tones in her outfit.

To get the look:

Eyes:

Apply a champagne shadow such as MAC Shadestick in Shimmersand all over the lids and blend up towards brows.

Line eyes with a dark green eye pencil such as Christian Dior Crayon Eyeliner in Precious Green or L'Oreal Pure Pigment Shadow Stick in Mesmerizing (I prefer the Dior pencil as the latter is not as dark) from inner corner to outer corner of eyes, top and bottom. The line should be fairly thick like Kareena's but make it proportionate to your eye shape and size. Also, make sure edges are not too harsh by blending with a sponge tip.

Line the lower waterline with a black eye pencil such as MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder.

Finish with a generous coat of black mascara.

Cheeks:

Lightly apply a candy pink blush such as MAC Blush in Dollymix to apples of the cheeks.

Lips:

Apply a rose pink lipstick such as MAC Lipstick in Sweetie to lips. Finish with a candy pink lip gloss such as MAC Cremesheen Glass in Melt In Your Mouth.

This is also a great look for those desi ladies searching for a way to add color to their makeup when they attend desi weddings without going over the top.
Images of Kareena via Santabanta.com, Filmicafe.com, Indiaglitz.com

London Fashion Week '09: Vivienne Westwood Red Label

The makeup artists at Vivienne Westwood Red Label didn't just stick with one look for the show. Instead they created a few different looks inspired by girls in high school cliques. The lips in the look far below were shockingly pink and reminiscent of 80s makeup.

MAC Products used:

Face:

Studio Sculpt Spf 15 Foundation

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

Eyes:

Feline Eye Kohl - rimming top and bottom lashlinse and smudged

Prolash Mascara in Coal Black - multiple coats on top and bottom lashes

MAC Products used:

Face:

Studio Sculpt Spf 15 Foundation

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

Lips:

Girl About Town Lipstick - applied as an opaque layer to lips

Ever So Rich Cremesheen Gloss

London Fashion Week '09: Roksanda Illincic

At the Roksanda Illincic, the elongated, graphic eyes - in purple, not black - stole the show. Cheeks were slightly contoured and lips were completely blanked out.

MAC Products used:

Eyes:

Painterly Paint Pot - applied in a sheer wash over the lids and lower lashline.

Omega Eye Shadow - blended over the eyelids.

Brun Eye Shadow - buffed into the crease and along the lower lashline.

Pro Burnt Burgundy Pigment - extended in a long oval shape past the outer corners.

Plushblack Plushlash Mascara

Studio Sculpt Concealer - combed through browns to pale out the natural color.

Face:

Studio Sculpt Spf 15 Foundation

Strada Blush - applied as a contour under the cheekbones

Prep + Prime Translucent Powder - blended onto cheekbones as a highlight.

Lips:

Myth Lipstick

London Fashion Week '09: Richard Nicoll

Pretty, girly makeup complemented the lady-like threads at the Richard Nicoll show.

MAC Products used:

Eyes:

Quite Natural Paint Pot - blended into the crease of the eyelids and smoothed down toward lids.

Seed Pearl Eye Shadow - blended onto lids close to the lashline and swept up toward the brow to soften and diffuse the paint pot color.

Taupe Eye Pencil - blended smoothly along the lower lashline.

Lingering Brow Pencil

Face:

Studio Sculpt Spf 15 Foundation

Nude Cream Colour Base - blended into skin under cheekbone

Strobe Cream - touched onto high points of the face in a sheer layer

Lips:

Summer Fruit Lip Pencil

Shy Girl Lipstick