Ada Designer Chikan Studio - adachikan.com - Online Shopping Experience and Review

All Indians love wearing the famous Lucknow Chikan hand embroidery work Kurtis and Churidars. The first one I wore was in early 2000 during my college days in Delhi light Lemon yellow color Cotton Salwar Kameez. I still miss that set. I do not remember the cost though but it was cheap LOL yes. After that the second one I bought was in Bangalore a un-stitched cotton material which costed me over 1000 bucks. It lasted for several years. I could not find good genuine ones in Kerala and buying one from a boutique would cost you more.

 During my search I stumbled across an article that I am linking here - click here. This is a general guide. You would find authentic chikan kari dress in many reputed stores such as West side, Fab India, Soch etc. I myself has bought but they are expensive. I found some stuffs on many popular websites too but pricey.

About the Website:

I thought to give some try with Ada Studio. Spend an day looking through, I had a chat with their Rep through their website. They were very helpful in answering my queries.

I finally picked my products and placed an order. They also got the pieces altered based on shoulder, sleeve length and bust measurement. Isn;t that fantastic. Chikan kari kurti's come in large sizes and you would only find one piece with certain design and one size beginning from 36. The materials are in cotton or Faux Georgette or Net or Tussar etc. Cotton and Georgette are good enough for this summer season. They have plenty of short tops to wear with salwars or Jeans. Browsing through the website is very easy, you can also add items to wish list.

I would rate 5/5

Product Shipping & Packaging:

They were prompt, responsive in updating you. The Rep called and confirmed my alteration and shipment dispatch. The package arrived on time and was well packed. See the pictures below.

Again - 5 stars.

Cloth packing underneath items were neatly wrapped in double layered polythene.

All the items fitted like dream. White cotton was so soft and felt good. Perfect product for this summer here in South India.

Will I buy again, definitely. I am thinking of buying few for my US friends as they simply love these embroidery work clothes.

RMKV.Com Online Shopping Experience & Review

RMKV has registered their trademark in the market for over 90 years. They are known for their wedding sarees. They opened up their online store few years ago. I have been looking at their collection but could buy only this year. I usually shop Vishal Designer Sarees, which is available in many websites but looking at their cost it's reasonable compared to Jabong / Myntra or Flipkart.

I bought a casual saree and silk saree and I am totally satisfied with my purchase. Be it Order processing or update or packaging or delivery. I give full 5/5.

The website browsing is great, with features for customer. One thing, I have never got any discount coupon to use unlike other websites.

The product was neatly packed.

This was a Silk Saree, I bought for this Easter.

You have timely emails and detailed invoices.

I am in this saree.

The product is no longer available in their website, looks like sold out. I got a post from their FB page for you to see the product display and compare to get an idea.

NewU.in - Online Shopping Experience & Review

NewU.in yes dot in, not com; another online shopping website for skincare and beauty products like Purplle, violetbag, Nyke etc. There are many more and new websites launching every now and then.

NewU is a Dabur Enterprise. If you have noticed the sellers in ebay and Amazon, you would have come across this seller. New U has wide range of products from all renowned brands such as Chambor, Lakme, Revlon, Loreal Paris, Maybelline and many more. The website is organized well both for browsing and buying experience is smooth.

Shopping Experience - Placing Order & shipment updates: 
I have bought from them few times. Let me share my experience right from placing order till product delivery and the pain points. Yes there are cons too and I will also explain why. This is my experience during this March. That is March, 2015.

I faced 3 major problems, when I placed orders same day. Multiple orders as there was some discounts per 1000 Rs.

1. Right after you place order you do get email notification and SMS, the order appears in your profile. After that, the status remains in "Processing" for ever.
2. No features on the website to track the progress of order or shipment or delivery status unlike Flipkart and other websites. The biggest issue is no sms or emails on shipment dispatch and tracking details. I had to call their customer care number, it's a office number the person was supportive in helping me with the status updates on each of my orders.
3. Product Unavailability - One my orders has been cancelled due to non availability of one item from the order. Entire order has been cancelled, yet no update or intimation on the refund.  The status still remains 'Processing'. The refund did come through.

The next time I placed order I checked with the person from their office, regarding the product availability before placing the order. Loos like they do not update the item list or stock appropriately.

I would rate 2/5 as the most essential functions of online shopping is missing. It;s kind of mis-leading customers although the people are genuine their system needs lot of work to get it on track.

Product Packing:

As far as packing is concerned I would give 5/5. Everything was intact with bubble wraps and sealed well. No damage. The products were original and in good condition. However there was a glitch in their invoice first time. The products were lipsticks and the invoice reads it as Eye Liner.

Customer Service:

 They do not have customer service like other eCommerce companies. The contact number provided on their website is a office number and answered by one person all the time. You do not know when he is available. They should definitely need to improve that if they have to run a full fledged online store. I would rate 2/5

Do share your experience if you have bought from NewU.In and if there are new changes. It might be useful for the other readers.

Nail Art with Loreal Paris Silver Top Coat on Blue Nails

This is simple and easy. You can try this  with almost any color nail polish and any silver top coat.

L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Vernis - Top Coat - Disco Ball (922) Review

Top coats are becoming more popular these days due to nail art attracting lot of girls increasing the demand for such product. Silver and Gold variations are very common and many brands are launching these range of products in the market.

I have been using Faces Splash Gold, Silver Top Coats and Color Bar until L’Oreal Paris Top Coats caught my eyes. They have different types of top coats other than the regular silver and gold.  In this post I am writing about Silver top coat called ‘Disco Ball’.

They have been priced at Rs.299 for 5ml. These nail polishes are available in stores and many online stores like Flipkart. Flipkart is selling it for 224. This comes in the same regular bottle as other L’Oreal Paris Nail Polishes. This has a black cap, with the label Top Coat printed on it.

Disco Ball is silver glitters densely packed with some large silver flakes in it. As described they are top coats. Adds shine and makes your manicure pretty on top of nail polish.

In the picture below I have applied it over Blue nail polish from Revlon.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy - Wild Card (440) Review (Indian Skintone)

Another one from Revlon Gel Nail polishes ladies and girls. Yes this is Wild Card - no clue about the color isn't continue reading.

This is a beautiful Cobalt Blue color. Very Pretty very soft. Suitable for almost all Indian skintone. It's available in many websites if you would want to buy. I bought some from Flipkart and Amazon. They are priced at Rs.425 for 11.7 ml. They were available for upto 40% discount on Flipkart.

Speaking about the nail polish, it dries to a gel manicure with 2 coats. It's opaque you can go with one coat, but I like mine to be 2 to get the nice feel of Gel Nails. You know what I mean? The formula is nice and so as the brush for application.

I have taken the pictures without any top coats. I have done a silver glitter nail art on top. This would last for more than a week, but I would change sooner than that :)

Next color is already lined up for review :)

Let me know which color you would like to try and if you are looking for a swatch please leave a comment. I will post pictures of that.

Nail art dot design on Green Matte Nail Polish (Indian Skintone)

This is a common design on Matte Nail polishes. The first time I did was using the nail polish brush rough dots. This time I attempted to do with a dotting tool again first time - yes, using a dotting tool. I was so nervous while dipping on nail polish and placing on my nails, I was afraid if I would ruin the nail polish.

Here is the look on a Emerald green Matte finish nail polish.

LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Nail Polish - Alpine Green (536) Review - Indian Skintone

I was in search of Matte Nail polish but could only get this online in India. I envied the Matte Nail polishes from Essie, China Glaze, Orly etc. Well let;s see how this fared.

LA Girl Matte Nail polishes are priced at Rs.230 for 14 ml. It's available in Flipkart. You might want to watch out for promotional discounts.

The color is like Emerald Green dried to a Matte Finish. The Matte finish is very flat like they claim, unlike other brands which has a very sharp and unique finish. The formula is thick and opaque in single coat. In the pictures I am wearing two coats. Later I did polka dots with top coat polish.

The color stayed on me for 3 - 4 days without chipping. Then it started to come off from the edges. I would only give a rating of 3.5. I bought this as I wanted to try the Matte Nail polishes :)

LYN (Live Your Now) Nail Polish Swatches & Review Indian Skintone

I have been eyeing these nail polishes on Purplle.com for a long time now, finally picked up some glitter polishes. Many of you might want to try and see how it is, experience shades on your skin tone much more.

Here is my short review with pictures. I will try to post individual pictures later. For now here you go guys.

I bought some 6 shades to start with. They are priced at Rs.350/- for 12 ml. If you have have discount codes, it would be a good deal. It;s available in Nykaa and MyEnvyBox as well.

The bottle is square pretty and heavy with a black cap. The name is printed on a label as sticker on the cap. The formula is good and opaque. All these shades can be used as top coat or by itself more for a party look. It says 'Formula from France' not imported product though if you wanted to know. It says, manufactured in India.

This is a good buy for this price and quantity. I will individual reviews on the longevity of each color. 

These nail polishes are like jewels !!!!

Thumb to Pinky - Candy is Dandy, Purple Pleaser, Goldzila, Blue Blaze Blizard, Mauve the Merrier

LYN Nail Polish - Candy is Dandy Swatch

LYN Nail Polish - Purple Pleaser Swatch

LYN Nail Polish - Candy is Goldzila

LYN Nail Polish - Blue Blaze Blizard Swatch

LYN Nail Polish - Mauve the Merrier Swatch

LYN Nail Polish - Glitter nails swatch 

Will post detailed individual posts soon. Let me know if you like any of these shades. Thanks for reading :)

LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Nail Polish - Raspberry Pink (543) Review - Indian Skintone

My first ever Matte Nail Polish, that too Raspberry pink. Didn't had a clue how it would turn out when I made my purchase from Flipkart. I was in search of good matte nail polish for a long time now. Buying one in India is difficult especially if you need something from Estee Lauder, Esee or Orly etc. Finally this one caught my eyes and I picked it up without second thought as the price was reasonable for the quantity.

The are priced at Rs.230 for 14 ml. I got it with 10% discount from Flipkart.

The color is just perfect on NC45 suitable for almost all Indian skin tone.  It dries quickly and gives you the matte finish. Although its its highly pigmented I used two coat to enjoy the Matte finish as it's my first one. Lol :) I did some quick design with top coat nail color and I am all up to share it with my friends, and they loved it.

I didn;t want to use some gold or silver top coat, as I didn't want to hide the matte finish. It stayed good for 3 - 4 days and started to chip on the edges. Overall I would rate it 3.5 out of 5.

Nail art design on Pink Matte Nail Polish (Indian Skintone)

For a beginner who love matte nail polish this is good. No tools needed some clear nail polish or top coat. I used the nail polish brush and did this roughly on the go. It's not perfect, it doesn't have to be perfect. You may also use a dotting tool if you have one to have perfect round shapes.

This is my first one on Matte Nail Polish.

Nail art design - Pastel Green on Indian Skin tone

Most ladies would stay away picking such colors thinking this would look gaudy on them ! Try them once, this is just warm and nice on NC45.

I have used Konad Nail art pen Gold and Silver to do this design.

Lorea'l Paris Color Riche Le Vernis Nail Polish - Perle De Jade (602) Review

Another one pretty shade to the Loreal Paris Nail polish collection. This is called Perle De Jade, beautiful creamy pastel jade green.

Available in most online shops in India, priced at Rs.250 for 5 ml. I got it for 190 /- from Flipkart.

I was under a dilemma that this color would look washed out on my deep skin tone. But it proved wrong, I looked just nice and my friends loved this shade too. I did some silver and gold streaks design and viola :)

The color is very opaque and creamy. I am wearing two coats, enjoying the luxury. On top it with the nail design saved a salon manicure.

the only disappointment is the quantity :(

Face Moisturizer with SPF for Indian Hot humid weather

I was in a search of good face moisturizer not something with whitening or just sunscreen. Most of the sunscreen makes my face oily and sweat. My skin is dry combination, so any moisturizer would makes my t-zone look oily soon. Especially in the southern part of India, it's very hot and humid.

Finally my search ended when I found this oil free moisturizer from Neutrogena that too with little SPF. It wasn't available in local stores here so ordered it online.

It's priced at Rs349/- for 115 ml. I bought for Rs 276 with some discount from Amazon India.

This is just perfect. The little pump helps to take only required amount of product. The consistency is not watery or think like cream. A small blob is sufficient for entire face. It blends easily, gets absorbed at once and stays put. Doesn't make my face oily.

I usually mix with a drop of foundation to form tinted moisturizer. This way I really do not have to prime or apply foundation as I can;t keep up with the hot weather.

Just use this moisturizer and dab compact power if you use.

Let me know how you liked the product if you buy it.

Purplle.Com Website Review - Shopping Experience

About the Website:

Purplle.com is becoming very popular like Flipkart or Jabong or Myntra. Purplle is exclusively for Beauty and skincare products unlike Flipkart or Myntra. I have been buying from purplle for the last couple of years.

They hold products from all Indian Brands and few international brands. Navigation is easy with good filters. You can add products to your wishlist and check back later.

Delivery Service & Packaging:

Delivered just perfect all the time, good packaging. I have bought oils, lipsticks, eye makeup items, nail polishes, etc. This time it's all nail polishes, packed well and never once had a problem of replacement. All products are labelled and with proper invoice.

Reward Program & Promotional Offers:

You earn purplle points for each purchase that can be redeemed. The run promotional offer every week on some or other brands. You would also receive discount coupons through email that can be used. you would also receive 15% discount when you review any product that you have purchased. 

Customer Service & Support:

This is the only area I am a little disappointed. Their hours are less, and less staffing. I hardly received response for my email but through phone. Some of their reps are very rude. They are still improving on that area.

Overall shopping experience: 4/5 reduced one rating due to Average Customer Support.

Homemade DIY - Cucumber Oats Body Scrub

This recipe is very simple. Previously I had posted one with sugar. This is with Oats, you may use both oats and sugar as they are used to exfoliate.

I had left over cucumber I didn't want to throw it, and it's summer. All you need is :

Cucumber as required, blend them to a paste
Oats
Oil (Olive / Sweet almond / Coconut / Jojoba etc.) You may use one oil or combine.
Essential oil of your choice for added benefit.

Mix everything together and store in a jar, and refrigerate until use.

Now isn't that That simple !

DIY - Homemade - Rose Petal Body Scrub

Who do not love flowers. You would either have rose plants or would have receives rose bouquet as gift. You can make use of them either fresh or after drying. Thats all, those rose petal is the main ingredients.

One jar of rose petals when crushed would become less than 1/10 of the jar. Yes :(

Combine the rose petals as it is or after crushing in a blender with sugar and oats. Add few drops of essential oil of your choice along with some carrier oil such as Olive / jojoba / coconut / sweet almond etc. Your choice.

You may add honey too, if you have it's good for skin.

Keep the consistency thick than flowing and store in a jar.

I have used rose oil, to feel the smell of Rose all over yes, it's cool and very romantic.

Hope you liked it, do not hesitate to make your combination. Do post your comments and suggestions. Thank you for reading.

Nail art design ideas - Magenta Pink and Gold Glitters for beginners

You can sprinkle glitters or apply glitter nail polish. I have used color bar.

This was my Easter Nails, feastiveeee !

Easy nail art design - red and copper colors, beginners.

This is my first attempt with geometrical shapes using scotch tape. Ensure the first nail polish dries completely to prevent a mess. I left good 2 hours gaps before sticking tape.

Nail Art - neon candy colors - dark skintone

I have used colors from Maybelline and color bar. Again this is another trial of mine first time, using scotch tape/ sellotape.

Nail Art on Revlon Full House - Idea for beginners

This is something I tried to balance the nail color. Using Nail striping tape first time.

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel - Bold Sangaria / Bold Sangria (260) Review

Big confusion, is it Sangria or Sangaria. It's Sangria how ever I believe in India the lot from which I bought could be incorrectly printed. I am not sure. 

Coming to the nail polish they are priced at Rs 350/- for 11.7 ml like all other nail polishes in this collection. Currently almost all websites in India is offering discounts, Flipkart is selling it for Rs 252. 

Speaking about the nail polish color, it's a very deep purple color. Very nice color when done in two coats. For girls who do not like black this is a good alternate. Better than coffee brown shades. The texture is nice and thick to give a polished look in single coat. In two coats you would have a salon manicure finish look, just end it with a top coat. It's glossy and gorgeous. This shade is suitable for almost all Indian skin tone.

Below are some pictures for you .