How to make the most of your 24 hours?

This is the first time I am writing such a post which is neither Beauty nor Fashion related, so hope you guys still enjoying reading and commenting.

I had met someone the past Friday who kept talking to me about how some people never find enough time for themselves and how he does. After our meeting I realized how true it was that some people constantly complain of lack of time. I must mention that sometimes I use it as an excuse just to avoid having to explain to people that I have had to prioritize something else whether I like it or not.

Fighting against the clock?

So what is it that makes 24 hrs enough for one and never enough for some others?

The answer lies in 2 words "Time Management"- the key to being able to accomplish your tasks without resorting to the same lame excuse over and over again.


Prioritising the jobs to be done on your to-do list is the most important step. Here are a few tips to make those 24 hrs in a day more meaningful and sane.

To-do list on the phone

Note the tasks at hand on a paper or on your phone. You may have the most awesome memory according to you but why strain your brain unnecessarily? Keep this list where it is most accessible to you at all times. It not only simplifies the process but in my opinion just the joy of striking through the job done has a great deal of satisfaction.

Be realistic. Don't try to finish all tasks in an unrealistically short time. Also realize some tasks may need a little back and forth and may be a long process. If you have a habit of procrastinating keep a list of only 3 jobs to finish in a day and slowly increase it in number. Hasn't mommy always taught us 'Slow & steady wins the race'?

Organize the tasks in the order they need to be done. The categories would be
i) immediate attention or can have consequences
ii) needs to be dealt with by end of the day
iii) needs to be done within a fixed period (set your own deadline)

Delegate some of your tasks to someone who is responsible. No use delegating it to someone who you need to keep a watch over when your own watch is already ticking away.

Discipline & rewards go hand in hand here especially when you starting off. How often do we know that there are somethings that we need to get done but keep procrastinating it? The job at hand might not be fun but if it needs to be done might as well get it over and done with. This is will not only help clean the clutter in your mind but sometimes also the clutter around you. Make sure if a job has to be done within 2 days you at least start the process on day 1. Don't wake up on the last day.

When you have accomplished your task reward yourself. The reward could be anything from an Ice cream to a luxurious pedicure if the job has taken some actual running around.

Don't forget if you have delegated the job and its done well and on time, a token of appreciation makes a huge difference.

Hoping that none of us are ever seen running around like a headless chicken ever again. Hoping you find the time to comment and share your time management tips here with us :)

Diptidiva1 Tuesday Tip: 6 Summer Beauty Essentials to add to your kit

While the world around everybody is talking Spring from Makeup, Hair to Fashion, lets face the fact that Mumbai has no real Spring, maybe a day or two when you realize "Oh damn, its hot today, unlike yesterday when I was enjoying some cool breeze". So keeping that in mind I have decided to share with you some beauty essentials that you need to now have in your Summer makeup kit. Let's begin...

1. Primer

You may have been able to skip this baby until the last few days but if you want to survive the heat and not have everyone see all your efforts melt off right on your face, make sure to have this one as a very vital step of prepping your skin.

2. Blotting Paper

This beauty invention is a blessing. You dab off the excess oil from your face and voila you not only look instantly fresh but trust me you feel it too. Will be doing a DIY affordable & super easy blotting paper blog post soon. Follow my blog to be updated. 

3. Compact Powder

Now that you have used the blotting paper this is the most important touch up you need to do in the summers as what the paper has taken mostly along with the oils is the powder. Also re-applying the powder will only delay the makeup from getting oily again.

4. Bronzer

Want to look naturally beauty? Then use a bronzer to show you have been touched by mother nature- The Sun.  Applied correctly this can make you loo like you have a sexy skin tone to die for. Have you ever seen those sexy long legged models in the swimsuit issues, this is one product that makes all the difference.

5. Highlighter/ Pop of color

I know that most people think this time of the year you go as matte as possible but think about a whole matte face and I can bet there is nothing exciting about it. There is that one feature you want to accentuate be it your face and collar bones or just your brow bone. But if you decide highlighter is a definite no no for you then use a nice gold base gloss just to the centre of your lips. Even if that is a no no then bring out the brightest shade of your matte lipstick and pout baby pout. You could also use a fun color of eyeliner to make those beautiful eyes pop.

6. Setting Spray:

This not only helps you set your makeup once you done so that it won't budge; for which I like the Derma Fixing Spray but if you want the dewy look too along with a setting spray you could go for the MAC Fix+.

Chitty Chat:

• I was MIA coz my Laptop charger had suddenly stopped working after a slight spark. Apple took nearly a week instead of 2 days to send me a new charger. Thankfully the charger was under warranty. 

• Have decided to do more blog posts as I enjoy the process. Let me know if you want me to do anything specific.

• When I write my blogposts I get more ideas. Thinking of sharing with you guys my colorful Eye and Lip pencil collection in a video. 

Malaika Arora at Femina Miss India 2014

Malaika Arora at Femina Miss India 2014

Image Source: High Heel Confidential

Malaika Arora is a Diva in the true sense. The lady carries herself off so beautifully and I know a lot of us out here wish we could be as Divalicious as her at that age. She is one hell of a Yummy Mummy if I may say, I say this with a lot of respect.

The picture above was clicked at the Femina Miss India 2014 Red Carpet. The outfit is an appropriately revealing Michael Kors Evening Gown which hugs her correctly and accentuates her perfect figure. Malaika if you have noticed loves to flaunt her back. I like the fact that she is wearing a chinese collar with the keyhole providing a glamorous break. I am not a big fan of Chinese collars on myself as I have large shoulders and it only makes it look broader, making my look much fuller than required.

Coming to the Hair & Makeup, the top knot gives it a very elegant look and the headband has a slight tiara look to it minus the typical crystals, thank god!
The makeup is the first thing I noticed (being a makeup artists, thats now the first thing I notice). In 2 words 'LOVE IT'. The glow on the skin and the minimalist look lends to the elegance of the hair which makes the whole look elegant. Thankgod she chose a Coral lipstick than the typical Red that someone would have typically done.
malaika has beautifully carried off the no jewelry look with her other 2 accessories- The black n gold clutch and headband taking the right amount of attention.

Her stylist definitely deserves a 10/10 for this look.

Diptidiva1 Tuesday Tip: Something from my kitchen to solve dry skin patches and chapped lips overnight

Check my vanity and you will notice at least 3 hand creams at any given point. Ask anybody with dry hands how many hand creams they own and they will probably have at least the same count.

I dint have this problem till about a year ago; but a few months ago I noticed that I had developed these dry rough ugly areas on my hands, one near my thumb which nobody would notice and another an extremely small area right on my palm. They were just spots but I was a bit nervous what if they became larger?

I first thought the damn dumbells were the culprits so bought exercising gloves then blamed my OCD habits of reaching out to cleaning things around the home as the reason and now realized that after controlling that too the patches have remained.

Ordered the Neutrogena Hand Cream from the US (when it wasn't available in India) which I love but even that dint seem to solve the issue.

The other day my lips got really dry and then came the thought of using home-made ghee (clarified butter if you not Indian) to my lips. At the end of the day I realized I dint re-apply the ghee since the morning. For a girl who applies her Maybelline Baby Lips at least 4 times during the day that was a big deal. Before retiring to bed I applied the ghee once again on my lips and the extra I rubbed on to my palm...Tada ...next morning the dry patch was no more there...YAY!!!!

Yes I felt like dancing like Hrithik Roshan on my bed just like he did to the song "Its magic, its magic"

So here is my beauty secret of using Ghee from my very own kitchen for chapped lips and dry rough problematic areas.  

Try using a few things from your kitchen that your mother suggested and not only will you save a few bucks but also be in for a huge organic beauty surprise:) Don't forget to share your beauty aids from the kitchen with us here.

P.S. Ghee is also considered as a good source of fat if consumed in the right proportions as part of a balanced diet.

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Diptidiva1 Tuesday Tip: Do you really need a moisturizer in the summer?

Spring is here and in no time it will the summer, and we will be finding out how to let the makeup be on our face through the day. I nearly feel like in the summer if someone says "May your dreams come true" it could very well mean "May you find a way to let the makeup stay all day"...haha at least to beauty divas like me :P

The main reason for makeup melting on your face is due to it mixing with the oils secreted by your own skin and to add to that the sweat in a humid environment.

A lot of us have oily skin and make the same mistake of changing our skincare routine for the summer and completing knocking of a moisturizer from it since we think that the oils in our skin are anyways moisturizer that is being thrown out by the skin. This is such a huge misconception.

Our skin needs 2 moisturizers one an internal one- Water which provides hydration to the skin and the other for the surface of the skin which is exposed to dirt, pollution and our own cleansing & toning routine which takes away the natural moisturizer from the surface of the skin.
This is no exception for those with oily skin; infact the skin tends to over produce oils due to lack of moisturization in the skin. Hence it is important to provide the skin the required moisturizer so than the skin does not get hyper active and secrete the oils in excess.

However make sure the moisturizer you use is as per your skin type, cream based for dry skin and gel or water based for oily skin. Do not forget your skin type may also change as per the season. Some moisturizers from Body shop are mattifying too for eg. the Mattifying lotion from the Seaweed range for combination skin and the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion. Make sure to moisturize your skin at night for sure and consume 8 glasses of water each day; this will maintain the elasticity of the skin and slow down the aging process therefore making the skin look healthy & glowing.

I use the neutrogena oil free moisturizer for combination skin, what about you?

Diptidiva1 Tuesday Tip: Deep Breathing

Yes as lame as it may sound and as far away it may seem from being a beauty tip, it is one of the most important ones. Ever wondered how some women look so radiant and young even when you know that they have a day far longer and hectic than yours? I have asked many such women their beauty secret :P Well firstly because I NEEDED it and secondly I HAD TO share it with all of you:) Most of these women have told me either one of these 2 answers: Yoga or Deep breathing.

Image: Yogainmyschool

So I decided to give this a shot and start with 10 minutes of Deep Breathing. Day 1 I thought was the most chaotic 10 minutes of my life, every damn pending job and things to add to my to do list came to mind (heck and here I was to clear my mind for 10 minutes). Well decided there has to be something to this, so not the one to give up a 10 minute free beauty routine I made it a challenge to do it for the next 5 days. The second day was again torture and the then finally on the third day it actually got better. I went on and with each passing day I felt my day going better, things felt more sorted and a clear mind was on its way.

However, then came the moving of the house and an over worked body, mind and a crazy me with no space or time to spare and 10 minutes of breathing was too much of a luxury at that point, leading to the routine to be dropped.

So here I am today to share with you the fact that a happy mind is a blessed mind and leads to a beautiful face and body, so I have begun this routine today and want you to join me with an objective to achieve a beautiful and calmer space in and around us in a world thats way too chaotic.

Here is how you go about:

1. Start as soon as you wake up. You can even do it on your bed (but just make sure you don't go back to sleep). Also set an alarm for 10 mts.

2. Sit up straight, folding your legs on each other and shut your eyes.

3. Start Deep Breathing only through your nose.

Image: Shape.com

Using your finger shut your right nostril while inhaling from your left nostril. Take a deep breathe and hold it for a count of 10 then slowly release. Do the same on the other side which is shut your left nostril and inhaling deeply through your right nostril, hold for 10 counts and release slowly. Try to listen and concentrate on to the beautiful sounds of nature while doing this.
Do this routine until your 10 minute alarm goes off.

4. When you are done, rub your palms against each other to warm it up and place them gently on your shut eyes and slowly open your eyes to see the world in front of you.

Let me know if you accept the challenge to remove 10 minutes in a day for yourself to follow a free beauty routine with me.

How To Wear A Dark Lipstick

Are you one of those who sees some lovely makeup and just needs to have it in  your collection? Inch pinch:) I know some of you may just find a dark lipstick in your stash which you have never worn in that if you dig a little. what has stopped you from wearing it so far, is it because you don't want to look like you trying to still use the lipstick you bought for Halloween or just that you not sure how to wear it. Whatever the reason here are a few points and a video that will help carry of a dark lipstick to look like a Diva!

Some points to keep in mind while wearing a dark lip:

1) Use a lip scrub to get rid of dead skin. Forget a dark lipstick, nothing ever looks good on dead skin.

2) Use a lip balm as the first step when you start your makeup so that by the time you done with your makeup and its time to wear your beautiful dark lipstick your lips are well conditioned.

3) DO NOT wear heavy eye makeup, unless its a Halloween look.

4) Avoid wearing a gloss on the entire lip.

Here are some pics  for you guys followed by the video. Comment and let me know whats your favorite dark lipstick...red/ wine/ brown

OOTD: Makeup for a Red Dress

Always pick out the Red dress from your wardrobe and wonder what makeup will go with it? I have a lot of my friends who go through the same makeup dilemma. Also I know a lot of you would like to flaunt a beautiful red lip with your red dress but not want to look like Red Riding hood. So here is a video that I have done with a very easy eye makeup tutorial and a beautiful red lip to compliment this look. 

Here are some pics and roll down to the bottom to watch the video.

   

Red Dress Makeup: The beautiful effect of the Essence of Beauty Circus Circus Highlighter

Love to create new colors out of the lipsticks I have & this one I did:)

Red Dress Look: This is the way I prefer my hair 

Red Dress Makeup: This is the look I had in the tutorial

The typical Selfie :-P

Review: Lakme Eyeshadow Quads

When I say the words "Indian Drugstore eyeshadow palette" what is the first picture that comes to your mind? Did I hear Maybelline Diamond Glow Quad and specifically Copper Brown? While the copper brown is a single hit amongst those quads here is a whole line of Lakme quads that have pleasantly surprised me. For those of you who have been following me, you know there are not too many times I make it to the Lakme counter so this is a double dhamaka for me when I actually reach out to a brand I expect the least from and it offers me the most:)

Product:  Lakme eyeshadow quads in Desert Rose, Moondust and Peacock

Price: Rs. 450

Lakme Quads: (L-R) Moondust, Desert Rose, Peacock

Lakme Quad: Desert Rose

Swatches of eyeshadows from the Lakme Desert Rose Quad

Desert Rose: By far one of my most used palettes at Indian weddings for the simple reason that it has the gold, the gold orange and the golden pinks. The eyeshadows are all well pigmented and each of them having golden sheens to them just adds to making them pop on the eyelids beautifully. This palette can also be used to create a casual everyday look. In my upcoming Valentines day tutorial on my Youtube channel I have even cheated by using the two pinks together as a highlighting blush.

                   

Lakme Quad: Peacock

                 

Swatches of Eyeshadows from the Lakme Quad Peacock

Peacock: A quad that is extremely difficult to find currently at any of the Lakme counters. So desperate was I that I had put my friends on the hunt too and trust me it was worth it ;-) The colors are stunning and again colors we Indians tend to use a lot of these colors for weddings.
 

Lakme Quad: Moondust

                     

Swatches of Eyeshadows from the Lakme Quad Moondust

Moondust: For the smokey eye girl. Again one difficult to find. The oldest of the Lakme quads that I own and also the rarest; maybe the reason being that while being in a rush Hubby by mistake dropped the palette and the eyeshadows had all cracked and broken :( He bought me a similar Smashbox trio out of guilt...awww! Now you know how little my husband knows about makeup and the difference in Drugstore and Highend ;-P

Verdict: Buy it if you spot it. Finding these are extremely difficult. I am not sure if they are discontinued as yet but looking at their availability it seems so. Just don't understand why brands discontinue their best items.

P.S. I have written this blogpost about these difficult to find products so that you can grab them wherever you see them and maybe an extra one for your BFF too ;-)

Diptidiva1 Tuesday Tip: A tip while using Sponges & Cotton

Hey beauties do you guys also wonder whats the big deal with the egg shaped sponge called the beauty blender and its many dupes available in the market? Well I am with you. having used the Sonia Kaushik one and the beauty blender I must say I see no big deal about the egg shaped sponge.

Working with a luxury makeup brand I prefer using the square shaped regular sponges instead of makeup brushes for the sheer reasons of hygiene and disposability. But here is an important tip I want to share with you guys that will not only make makeup application easier but will also make your foundation bottle last you longer.

Always dampen your sponge with water preferably using a water spray bottle that will help you only dampen the sponge but not completely wet it like if you place it under running tap water. This allows the dry sponge to first absorb the water and therefore not much of the product, which will avoid wastage of the foundation into the sponge as well as a more moist and smooth application of the foundation on the skin.

The same goes with cotton which should always be dampened especially during the cleansing routine to not only avoid a dry cotton from absorbing your cleanser & toner but also from tugging and stretching of the facial skin.

Hope you guys liked this tip. Please feel free to share the same if you find it informative.