Say What? 2 Nights 3 Days Complimentary Stay with The Nature's Co Beautywish Box!!

It is hard to believe but The Nature's Co Beautywish Box is giving to the first 100 of its December Box subscribers a two nights - three days complimentary stay, sponsored by Sterling Holidays.

The Beauty Wish Box by The Nature's Co is going great. They started this in October with each month's box of a predefined theme. October was their wedding special month. You can read about my October box and the mini review of the products here - The Nature' Co October Box (Was it REALLY worth it?)

In November, the theme of the box was winter special and all subscribers got a winter cap as their box. How innovative!

December is their Travel Special month and to celebrate they are giving the first 100 subscribers a two nights - three days complimentary stay, sponsored by Sterling Holidays.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage Review

A Million Thanks to Dear Lord because my dry skin is back! I was fed up with my Acne prone oily skin for the last 18 months of my stay at Kolkata.  As my skin is still kind of sensitive, I took out my favorite day cream - Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage which I got from Sephora Delhi in January.

Back then when I tried this at store and I knew I had to have it. At that time in the store, thought it was winter, (or maybe because it was winter) the temperature was set to a higher level. My skin was burning and irritated that time. Anything I tried at Sephora seem to do nothing. Then, when I tried Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion, I could feel it working. I could feel that the tiny cracks caused by the dry heat was filled in by this cream. So, in Jan, this was my companion for 2 weeks but when I was back to Kolkata, I decided to stop using it as my skin turn oily in Kolkata. Now, that my skin is dry again, I am using it every day for last 2 weeks as both day and night cream.

The fact that the product is 99% natural did the trick of making me week on my knees. (You know I have thing against all chemical lotions and potions). All Burt's Bees products have this mentioned. For example their Orange Oil cleanser is 100% natural. And Burt's Bees products does work for me well. 

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Fragrance (Natural Fragrance), Propanediol, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract, Lactobacillus, Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter, Trichilia Emetica Seed Butter, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara ( Bitter Orange) Peel, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Lecithin, Alpha Glucan Oligosaccharide, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Stearic Acid, Sodium PCA, Potassium Stearate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Amyl Cinnamal, Eugenol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool

Shayoni's Christmas Wishlist for 2013

For me, Christmas is a big thing. I mean I am not even Christian. Hello!! Maybe the love for winters and color red, I am always really sentimental when it is Christmas. I am already excited from last couple of days. 

Also, Sweet And Bitter Blog will be 2 years old this weekend (Thank You Dear Reader!) 

Lot of things going inside me and so, to calm myself down, I made myself a wishlist. Ta da!

1. The Body Shop Shea Scrub & Soften Gift Set – Well it comes inside a snowman tin says all the reason I need this. This contains Shea Body Butter 200ml and Shea Body Butter 50ml. Plus, I love their Shea Butter range. Cannot wait to hold this baby.

2. Ginger Sparkle Shower, Scrub & Moisture Collection – Another irresistible tin gift shaped like Gingerbread Man. This contains Ginger Sparkle Shower Gel 250ml, Ginger Sparkle Body Butter 50ml, Ginger Sparkle Body Polish 75ml and Ginger Sparkle Mini Heart Soap 25g. They launched this last year as well but I could not find this so, got the Ginger Sparkle Body Butter and Ginger Sparkle Mini Heart Soap.

3. Google Nexus 5 – So, this baby IS now available in India. I am waiting for Flipkart to stock it. My present phone is good enough but I am tempted badly this time..I am gonna get this and make loads of covers like I did for my Tab here.

[Tutorial] DIY Tablet / Phone Case

If you ever get to see my internet search history then you will be shocked to see how much I search “Phone Covers”, “Kawaii Phone Case”, “Printed Design Tablet Case” in Ebay.com.

But, now I know somewhere deep down that they are not going to happen because they are very common and the unique ones do not ship to India. Recently, I got this I idea to paint my own using the kind of paints I am most comfortable with – Nail Polish.

1. Take any bold color case or cover.

2. Take a thick tape and line around the cover top to avoid spills. This will make the colors looks crisp because they will end in one line. Did I confused you? See the pic below. You can see that the colors finish in one line in a crisp way.

3. Choose your color palette – I took pink, light pink, fuchsia, neon pink, silver, grey and silver glitter. Start drawing horizontal lines with each color. Apply the next color even before the previous color has dried to get the transitioning effect.

As nail polish brushes, cannot pick that much color to go through the complete line smoothly, apply small paint bubble dots and then join them while running through the length to get a smoother look.

In Love With...

While the winter has started to know on the door, the humidity is gone, the air is now dry and so, is my skin. These days, this are few of the things that I am loving a lot.

The Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Heart Exfoliating Soap - You do not sweat during winters so, you much use scrubs to exfoliate. This one aims at 2 things – mild exfoliation and beautiful warm smell. The Body Shop is going to launch Ginger Sparkle again this year in case you missed last year.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry and Curvy Candy – As they are sheer, I was not using them much. But, as the need of a tinted balm has grown because of the dry weather, I am using them. They have all good characters of being a good lip balm - shea butter, do not have shimmer, no headache inducing smell, tinted and balmy. Plus, reapplying them is fun even if people are starting at you. LOL

Nivea Lip Butter in RASPBERRY ROSE Review

I really should not have got this as I am too many lip balms and these lasts for ages. 

But, this is the first time I could grab a lip butter inside a flat tin container in the Indian market. Also, I wanted a rose perfume and a raspberry body butter so.....in short I came up with an excuse get my tin of love. 

I wanted both but resisted to get one....now please appreciate my resistance power. 

Now could I have said a BIG, not to these cute ones?

"Swirled in the pan,

Basking in the winter sunlight,

Is a lip butter from Nivea,

to save from any lip plight."

Nah...I should not even try...so, let me continue with the review...

Haul from Innisfree In India and My Thoughts After Using The Products

From the Delhi Bloggers, I got to know that Innisfree, a Korean Skincare brand has entered the Indian skincare market and has opened their store at Khan Market, Delhi. I had an invite for the store opening event but I could not go as I was in Kolkata...duh! 

But, what got me most exited was when I saw the Birdcages given to the bloggers who attended the event. Also, they had real great offers going on like buy 5 face mark sheets and get 5 free while each cost just Rs 100, one could get 10 marks just for Rs 500. 

So, I had to ask Mr.Boy to go to the store and get few things for me. I talked with the SA there over phone and she was sweet enough to even give the birdcage to him (which I didn't even requested her to). 

I had no idea that the cage was big and it was stuffed with free goodies.

The cute Birdcage which broke my knees and made me crawl because of how cute it is!

Eight Ways to Wear Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Tweedy 800

Move away crackle nails; 

make way caviar nails, 

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coats have arrived!

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coats are available in 8 variants. Sally Hansen Fuzzy coat is a transparent coat with loads and loads of bar glitters of 2 color. My pick was Tweedy and it was simply because I am blown away with the type of possibilities that one can create with black and white. I could show here very few of the ones could try in short time because I want to post this ASAP – at least before these are gone from the store!!

Currently Testing ~ Revlon Photoready Products

Reviews will be up in a week's time.

Till them you read the review of the foundation from Revlon that I love so much that I end up recommending my friends and family - Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme

And do read the review of Three Revlon Photoready Blushes which are yet to come to India.

Quest Mall Kolkata has a LOT to Offer! [Visual Tour] [Parcos, Crabtree & Evelyn, MAC, Michael Kors, Furla & MORE]

After lot of anticipation, the Quest Mall is now open in Kolkata. For a year, everyone was guessing which stores will actually make their way for the new mall. Here are few images of the mall with stores coming up. I clicked the image yesterday (9th Nov). Most(all?) of the stores are yet to open but you get the idea of which stores are actually going to open.

Lifestyle is now open in Kolkata! The city of joy has more reasons to celebrate for sure! I got just 15 minutes to explore the store so, I am planning another visit to give you guys a details insight. BTW Bourjois Paris has a counter there.

Addicted to Tub-o'-Butter of The Body Butters

This was a anonymous meet. After everyone has spoken, she got up from chair and said – “I am Shayoni and yes, I am addicted to The Body Shop Body Butters.


It started with one harmless looking tub of The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter but I never thought that I will reach to this level where I cannot see any other suitable moisturizer for body. For three years now, I have used them back to back.

Gradient Nail Art Using Lakme Kiwi Martini and Lakme Color Crush 02

Messy desk encourages creative mind for sure. I saw these two colors lying together while organizing and I realized that I am yet to talk about these in blog. [Well there are lot of products that are yet to see the face of this blog but what can I do? I hardly get time these days to blog and when I get some time to breathe, I am really tired...]

Is The Nature's Co Beauty Wish Beauty Box Worth It? [Mini Reviews] [1st Box]

I planned on doing a mini review before it is time for the next subscription for The Nature’s Co Beauty Box to help people decide.

But, I got it on 29th Oct (late..coming to that later in this post) and so, I could use it for a week to give you a brief about the products in the box.

The Nature’s Co Beauty Wish Beauty Box

The Beauty Box by The Nature’s Co is a customized box. The box itself is a beautiful strong cardboard box which can be used to store jewelry or nick-nacks. The Beauty Wish box contains 6 main products with 2 bonus products. The box contains a letter addressed to the subscriber with complete details on how to use the products.

October 2013 was the ‘Wedding Edition’ of the box. They added some sandal potpourri which made the box smell great. They also added a 10% off voucher for Sia Jewelry, a 10 minutes spa session at their store and a 35% offer coupon for some selected products.

The size of the samples are commendable. Each has enough content to help you decide on them. But the package does not have any indication of the amount.

October Empties

This month I finished just 5 products out of which 3 are sachets!

But, this one have something that I always wanted to finish. After abusing my eyes for months, I finally finished the NYX Makeup Remover and Cleansing Oil! This is a good product (review) but most of the time, it gets into my eyes and then it burns like crazy. For the last few months, I was using it right before shower so that it will wash off by the time its time to open my eyes! LOL