Bleu De Paris....

I was very excited and really happy to get the Dior 5 Couleurs eyeshadow palette in Bleu de Paris and could not think of a better name than this for this eponymous eyeshadow post. Instead of reviewing it, I preferred to a tutorial since these colors were limited editions for the last year.

This is one of the very smokey wearble blues with no tones of other colors. They are simply made by adding a tint (white), tone (grey) and a shade (black) to a basic blue hue. And thats what looks amazing. Even the silvery grey has a smidgen of blue.

Talking about how good this palette is totally depends upon the intentions of the user. This may not be your day to day eyeshadow palette but not bad to try them at least. The colors are definitely wearable and not intensely bright. The smokiness does give this palette a lot of versatility and adds a mysteriousness to the colors too. Trust me, Dior makes some of the most fabulous powder eyeshadows in the market and this quint costed me Rs.3650 for 6 gm of product.....

So lets jump and have a look at this beautiful quint first....and then the eye makeup look....

The HOW To's of Blush & Guerlain Blushers and Bronzers....

These are the Guerlain blushers and bronzers I picked up from all the hauls I have made. And since they are not just for the blog but also for good clients that I shall take up (sanitizing the surface with isopropyl alcohol spray) I just wanted to do a small post of categorizing these blushes for Fair, Medium and Dark skin tones and how I would use these.

I believe this will also give an idea to a reader (who may not own Guerlain) on what colors should or could suit their complexions and take it as a guide to purchasing the right colors.

So lets take a leap (after the jump break) to see how to coordinate blushes.....

Happy Mother's Day Aai

( This pic of my mummy was taken by me on Nov 2011)

Dear Aai ('Mummy' in my language),

How amazing it feels to be able to celebrate your 30th Mother's Day? And how lucky I am to have a supermom like you. I can shout and say that to the world all the time.......I have cherished all the good, bad and the worst memories we have all gone through our lives and when I look upon the best ones I always smile and admire the wonderful days we all spent.

I have been so grateful to you for all the love you have bestowed us and shall be indebted forever on how you have spent every second of your life for us and never cared much for yourself. You stood strong in whatever good or grief that came in your way and always smiled back. Everyday we all live is by the grace and mercy of GOD and it wouldn't have been better if you were not there. 

I am so thankful to you for being the pillar of strength when I decided to give up the much better life of a doctor to be a makeup artist. How you encouraged me to take the next step, funded me throughout the journey, gathered money to make me spend on products and develop an expensive taste for quality makeup products and everything. I look upon you for the immense support you have been to all of us and how amazingly well you have handled situations in life.

Today when my baba (father) sees us from the Heavens I am sure he is blessing us and must be swelling in pride to see how integrated we are as a family. I owe you my life for that's the life I got as a gift from you. You were sent by GOD to take care of us and thank you so much for EVERYTHING....

Wish you very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY......

Your elder son,

Neeraj 

Please do not copy any pictures or content of Beauty Traveller without prior permission. Thanks for reading my blog. I don't give 100% on the authenticity of the content here and it is subject to change without prior notice. Please read the disclaimer for any questions.

Mid 2013 - Best of 5 - FACE n PRIMERS

This is a miscellaneous post dealing with some of the face products I purchased in last 4-5 months and wish to purchase. You may wonder why am I not putting real product pics? This is because there are certain products that are still in the wish list and it would not look nice in the post. 

Any which ways, its real fun to use these products and out the 5 I have chosen three from Guerlain already. This is because I love the brand so much and really falling in love with them again and again. For me, such products are an investment as they would certainly make my clients very happy and I shall get the pleasure of making them look the best for their occasions...

So lets have a look at some of the interesting product I have collected and looking forward to collect a few.....

Mid 2013 - Best of 5 - EYE LINERS - BLACKS

Eye liners are my weaknesses...not in terms of buying but in terms of applying. I can say that eye liner is the most difficult thing on this planet to apply. You need a symmetry and a free hand to draw that perfect line. And trust me, the Youtubers make it so easy to look at but its not...It takes immense practice and until and unless you have the right product or the right brush its always going to be an average liner and not a great one.

Now the eye liners that I am mentioning are the ones that I may have or they are in my wish list. This top 5 comprises on the all the genres from pencils, eye liner pens, gels and the toughest of all liquid liners....Btw you may have noticed in some of the last posts that I haven't mentioned much of MAC!! Its because I didn't buy anything from them except this one product that I shall talk about in a while....Before anyone calls me a hyprocrite, let me say that I do love my Bourjois 16 HR Khol and Contour eye pencil in 'Ultra Black' but I already have a lot to finish and did not purchase any this year which is why I am not mentioning them.

So lets see the Top 5 favorite eye liners of mine....

Mid 2013 - Best of 5 - EYESHADOWS

Eyeshadows are my weaknesses as a pro makeup artist or as a blogger as thats the only part I can show on the blog (and not the lipstick wearing psychopathic g*y killer of a B grade movie...LOL)..Eyeshadows maketh most of my kit because there aren't enough eyeshadows and eyeshadow palettes that can suit all your needs at once.

And let me admit that I use a lot of drugstore and department brands and I love Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows just the way I love my Urban Decay eyeshadows....but these are the top 5s of the purchases made this year so pardon me if you miss anything you liked....

Mid 2013 - Best of 5 - HIGHLIGHTERS

This post was always the next to come. Btw for all who are a bit put off with the fact that I am doing a lot of department brands, I shall have a post entirely on the best deals and best buys of drugstore brands so stay tuned.

Makeup is all about shades and lights. And this post shall talk about 'lights'..........that iridescent glow, that luminosity and everything ever. Who doesn't like a soft highlight? It gives an illusion of a healthy lustrous skin as the light bounces back and creates that ethereal dewiness....thats highlighting. So here are some of my favorite highlighters..........btw for me the words 'illuminator', 'highlighter', 'glow', 'iridescence', 'sparkle' sound synonymous...its just the branding and marketing strategies..Its so difficult to put the best five...

Beauty Traveller POLLS

What do you use for FACE makeup?
	BB cream
	Foundation
	Concealer
	Powder
	Compact
	Primer
	Nothing
	Everything
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Please do not copy any pictures or content of Beauty Traveller without prior permission. Thanks for reading my blog. I don't give 100% on the authenticity of the content here and it is subject to change without prior notice. Please read the disclaimer for any questions.

Mid 2013 - Best of 5 - BLUSHERS

I am going to write this article on my favorite BEST Blushers from a professional makeup artist point of view (which means more of performing products than anything else). As a makeup artist I always choose formulas that work for me irrespective of whether they are the best or the worst in the market. My idea of an ideal blusher does not necessarily mean the product has to be intensely pigmented....its just needs to have a star value.

I am a fan of a lot of blushers but this post shall have the 5 best ones that I like and use it on the blog and also over clients. Let me make a small confession (its the season of making confessions) - I have an addiction for blushers just the way I have addiction for mascaras and I don't display them coz I am too hideous and a ghastly sight LOL.....

So presenting my top favorite blushers for the Mid 2013....and they are "MY" favorites, so do let me know yours in the comments section..

Mid 2013 - Best of 5 - MASCARAS

Its 'May' and its almost the mid of the year. I can't imagine how fast the days pass by and how things change fast. Although right now I am in the aura of some petty cheap Beauty Confessions calling me 'uncle-ji....thread your brows' while not knowing the actual purpose of writing a beauty blog. But its fun.....its like blaming a doctor without even being able to study medicine yourself...perfect stand up comedy according to me. What hater(s) are these who called me a 'faker' and all the stuff...dont I have the right to retaliate against these vulgar people. Anyways its better to give a cold shoulder after some time.

So its the right time to open up some posts on Best 5's too...so lets see what are the best mascaras till the Mid-May 2013 (drug store and department brands)....

Review : YSL Pure Chromatics Palette in 04

I got some of these amazing amazing YSL Pure Chromatics eyeshadow palettes some days back and after a long time itch I am revealing them one by one. This quad no.04 is a special one as its inspired from the video of Mary Greenwell for Lisa Eldridge and she is one of the most respectable makeup artists I have ever known.

YSL Pure Chromatics eyeshadows are specially formulated formulas that can be used wet and dry. They are made directly into their pans (actually poured in them) and kept for drying literally so that the water evaporates and a strong pigment is left in the pan. You can see a glimpse of how these are manufactured in this French video which is really inspirational. The only unfortunate thing is that they dont make matte formulations. Maybe this has to do something with the manufacturing process though.

Anyways lets have a look.........

Makeup Work....

I had a lovely time doing makeup for Mitali who owns Zoe Spa chain of salons in India. Their website is www.zoespa.net. When Mitali contacted me for a makeup job, she was very specific about having products that would not only be long lasting but also soothing for her allergy prone skin. I was quite ready with some of the industry's trusted products and gave her a nod to what she exactly looked for.

Unfortunately I did not carry my camera thence relying on the pictures sent to me by Mitali through her Blackberry. Here's the pic what I got...The hair styling was done by Ritika who is a phenomenal hairstylist and she did what complimented Mitali's persona and of course the makeup.

This is the outcome of the makeup we planned and I want to share it with you. Lets see how to achieve this look.......

Rapid Fire Makeup....

What beautiful looks this Spring 2013 and Spring Couture 2013.....I am so mesmerized that I am going to talk about 4 looks. All au-naturale....hardly any difference but very impacting and very very easy and highly effective.

Btw even if these are all fair girls, these looks are very universal and for everyone to find their shades in the makeup paraphernalia. Anyways lets see whats lying behind the jump break then.....

Coming this Summer 2013

Beauty Traveller has been really busy with makeups and of course beauty travelling. Since it is essentially related to beauty, I keep myself updated with some of the most amazing launches coming this Spring Summer to India...Every brand has something to offer and this post I shall update to all who have missed or want to make their wish lists ready for the next makeup shopping spree..

So lets see what the brands have to offer....(covering the collections for Spring and Summer and some of the latest launches that I heart the most).....

The Opera Magic

Sorry to all for missing in action and it shall happen over the time. To tell everyone, I am also an assistant into film production these days and work has taken a pace in that too, thence very busy days at times and no energy to access the worldwide web for some info sharing.

Anyways, this is another lovely look I want to share today. Its using the mesmerizing Turandot eyeshadow quad by Guerlain and the legendary opera.I have always loved these mystical look and there's some ancient magic to these looks. They are all occasion looks and wont go unnoticed. Another feature is the kohl that not only adds depth and dimension to the eyes but also creates that magical quotient one looks for.

This look is quite universal. You may have seen this in the movies, bridals and a lot of places as its safe and easy to put on. I envision this look to be done on a beautiful lady and worn for an Opera over a bright red Valentino gown or a Giambattista Valli couture dress. 

So lets see how to get these magical Opera eyes.........

Review : Guerlain Les Ombres De Turandot Eyeshadow Quad

Sometime one has to take a bold step into buying a palette like this. And then its the biggest surprise when the eyeshadows in the palette become so wearable and also flatter our complexions (whichever it is)......
This is my story of the Ecrin 4 Couleurs palette in Les Ombres De Turandot......

Inspired by the Opera and the stories inspired by Love, Guerlain paid an ode to this emotion by creating a palette so beautiful, wearable and articulate that one becomes mesmerized just at a glimpse of it....so lets see what this is all about....

Rapid-fire Looks.........

Rapid fire looks is all about being able to predict the makeup products that one can use to create a look from which I am inspired. My inspiration comes from the lovely works of Pat McGrath, Dick Page, Peter Philips, Tom Pecheux, Val Garland, Charlotte Tilbury, Diane Kendall and Lucia Pieroni..........and here I portray them in these posts...

So here are 2 inspirational looks today with the product list mentioned below...

Rapid-fire makeup

I had started these posts in 2011 where I would get inspired from images from Style.com on the current trends in fashion and beauty and talk about creating those looks using products. Looking into the archives I realised how important these posts could be and thence I am planning to reincarnate them.

The Rapid Fire makeup posts will give an insight of what products can be used from drugstore as well as department brands to create these iconic looks done by such influential makeup artist. Each post shall have 2 looks randomly picked up from the website and I shall add my inputs. Btw I may not have all the products I mention here and this is wholly based on the Beauty Travels I had....

Lets see what we have for today............

Tropical Paradise........

This is the look I have seen at not only Anna Sui's Fall 2012 collection but also done the lovely MAC Manager Brazilia at the Juhu MAC store. I was so smitten by the way she had applied the liner, that I decided I got to do this and I am sure you'll love it.

I will also do a look of a similar type in green keeping the Pantone Color of the Season in mind.

I also loved this silly yet dramatic variant and until I was too sure of where I saw this, the reference did come from one of the John Galliano shows and I had really loved the effect all thanks to the makeup magician Pat McGrath.......

Anyways lets see how to this look...........

Magical Purple

Since childhood, I have read a lot of books on fairies and pixies and a lot of supernatural beings through books of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and not to forget the beautiful Harry Potter series. And since then I have always believed in 'magic'. Magic happens when we least expect it and it does a lot of difference in our lives.

Inspired from the 'pixie dust' of Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, I have tried to create this midnight pixie look for this post. Before we start, I must apologize for the crooked eye liner on the top lid which I request all to overlook and see the magic unfolding as the tutorial proceeds..

I have used the lovely Violet Underground quint of Estee Lauder to do this beautiful look...Lets see how...

Beauty Traveller POLLS

What blush do you opt for SPRING?
	Pink
	Peach
	Rose
	Coral
	Plum
	Tawny
	Apricot
	Orange
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Please do not copy any pictures or content of Beauty Traveller without prior permission. Thanks for reading my blog. I don't give 100% on the authenticity of the content here and it is subject to change without prior notice. Please read the disclaimer for any questions.

Review : Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in Coup De Foudre

Before the Spring Season could arrive, brands got their wares to sell so that we are all prepped from Spring. Guerlain per se got a lovely collection of some of the most unconventional colors for Spring that one may not think of and paired them with scintillating shades of glosses and Rouge Automatique lipsticks. The core of this collection is the CILS D'ENFER mascara which I have got but wont open it for a while.

Can I say, this is the most 'beautiful' eyeshadow quad I have ever owned. No wonder its called Coup De Foudre which means 'Love at first sight'......The contrasting placement of colors and a palette that could sport a clean look or a smokey hue, this palette really does a lovely job and I am not surprised that so many bloggers talked about it. (Google and see the number of reviews).......

Anyways here's mine........

The Azure Ocean..........

This is an ocean inspired look. The colors are of tropical paradise that is laid over and around an azure color ocean. What a lovely sight it is!! This is a lovely beach inspired look (of course sans the false lashes and the liner) and looks very very inviting for the Spring 2013 makeup trend. 

   

This is my inspiration for the look....isnt it serene?

The false lashes just make my little eyes a bit bigger and longer or else they are not very necessary. Anyways I have used my Urban Decay Vice Palette to do this pretty bedazzling makeup look....so lets see how to achieve this...

Le Guerlain Haul De Spring...

Spring is on the way!!! What a lovely treat Mother Nature has for us....The beautiful butterflies, the colorful flowers, howering bees..........and all..It feels as if nature has painted another beautiful canvas to remember.
Anyways, I also got some products to paint my canvases this time. And that too all from Guerlain (special highlight)............

Why do I shop from Guerlain?

• I am not getting any monetary benefit from them. Maybe some lovely samples but thats all. 
• What attracts me to Guerlain are their colors, textures, patterns and their quirky approach to luxury. 
• The packaging is phenomenal and very well thought of. Sometimes one would buy Guerlain just to get those endorphins flowing the arteries by a visual experience.
• They are French and who knows luxury better than them. The products are very well made, highest quality, rightly pigmented and most importantly visually appealing.
• Guerlain is all about generosity as well with the product quantity really good for a hefty price we pay. We see the money and forget the size of the product, which is opposite for what MAC gives.
• Each and every Guerlain product is iconic. If you rant that you have the rarest limited edition of some professional brand or you cannot live without a drug store product, then you are living in a mirage because those who get a the luxury touch of Guerlain are mesmerized into an alternate supernatural world.....dont believe me? Ask anyone who's bought Guerlain and hear their words.

So with all Guerlain around and so many pending reviews, I thought of sharing another haul of 8 products that I recently purchased in over 2 weeks. .....have a look........

The PINK PANTHER (Smokey Eye)

For this post, I was inspired by the legendary Pink Panther. I love the color and it just spells the glam girl effect. What fun it is to create a monochromatic pink look for the Spring!! The colors are candy floss pink, neon fuchsia and there is a lot of intermixing of textures and eyeshadow silhouettes to get quite a 3 D effect for the eyes.

With Pink Panther being the inspiration I would love to share a pic of what I got inspired from....

LOL....

At the end of the day, its quite a dramatic bright eye and I leave it upon you to decide the venue where you would don it. I would personally do it for a high fashion photoshoot or maybe a party......Btw I have used pink eyeshadows which are safe and have certified ingredients that are suitable for eyes. Do not use pigments or powder blushers as they do contain certain ingredients that may harm your eyes.

So lets see how to get this punk pink eye......