So, the monthly favorites have been christened as monthly superstars. How do like the name..love it! Hate it!. Some of these are old favorites (well mostly!) and there are few new products that made it into the June list.

Dove Go Fresh Deo in Cucumber and Green Tea: I have forgotten the number of cans I've repurchased. The oldest memory of this deodorant goes back to college. Other deodorants that I tried on would sting my skin so bad. After loving Dove Cucumber and Green tea soap, I tried their deodorant and gwaash I've have not looked back since. It is so soft on the skin, very light, fresh and summer appropriate. If I have few complaints, that would be definitely the white stain on the skin and also the fact that I had to throw away at least 3 semi-empty cans that just refuse to dispense the product. The product gets clogged in the nozzle and you have to open the whole dispensing system to get it cleaned.

Milani Baked blush in Luminoso: Milani is an American drugstore brand. When I bought the two shades Luminoso and Rose D'Oro, I had little or no expectation from Luminoso, mainly because I thought it would not show up on my skin tone. Surprise surprise, never judge a makeup product from online swatches :p. The blush provides a very natural peachy flush of color and imparts a subdued glow to my face. It's now my go to blush for every occasion.

MAC Select Moisture cover Concealer in NC45: I have a friend who loves panda so much that she collects panda goodies. Personally, I love the cuddly panda, but panda eyes not so much. Genetically, I'm blessed with with dark circles (how cool huh). I try to hide em on a day to day basis. I used to use the heavy duty MAC Studio Fix concealer to cover up the dark circles, but they crease badly and look so unnatural. This on the other hand is so natural looking. Ensure you set this with a powder to avoid creasing. It's not a full coverage concealer, it will let your skin shine through with minor imperfections. None of us are perfect to the point we look made up right.

NYX Love in Paris palette in MADELEINES AND MACAROONS: This is one of my earliest palettes. I bought it from the NYX US site and got it shipped to Gs cousin's place. It is a basic neutrals pallets that will help u achieve an effortless look. You can see by the small dents in the colours on how much I love this palette.

Olay Total Effects (Cream + Serum duo): I can't give an opinion on the anti ageing part, but this is one of a constant fixture in my night care routine. The Cream + Serum duo is a thick consistency cream, that gets absorbed into the skin within minutes. It makes my skin supple and smooth. Strictly, a night time skin care product, as the cream itself is a little thick for the day time use. It pricey, cost Rs. 800 ($15) for 40g of product.

Cosmopolitan Magazine: I love this magazine, much more than Femina. It is a light read, covering everything from fashion to food to travel to beauty. G calls it my poison, as I am always on the hunt for this magazine. Hardly very few stores stock them and they are always OOS.

That wraps up my June superheroes , so what are yours?

It's not Halloween yet

You will have to wait 4 more months for Halloween, this is a little something that reminds me of AUTUMN nights and cutesy owls. When I was in college, I used to be overly obsess about owl jewellery (they were a big fashion statement then). I made my then fiance G hunt high and low in Mumbai for an owl pendant. These earring also remind me of Harry potter and all thing warm and owly. Saw this pic in my draft and was wondering why didn't I post this pic in the past 3 years. 

The earring has a antique, worn out silver finish and the owl eyes are jeweled with black stones.

Earring From: Camella, Convent Junction, Cochin
Price: Less that 300

Mini-Haul

A little haul to keep you guys occupied before I can come out of my hibernation mode. I love watching haul videos, swooning over pretty things and in the end, letting my poor wallet suffer. I have been watching a lot of YouTube nowadays, or so will my hubby say. Well, I do agree to that allegation. I have seen most of the YouTube gurus 'obsessing' over Milani baked blushes. Also, my Instagram was flooded with pretty pics of the gold embossed face powder. When I found the Milani beauties at www.cherryculture.com, I immediately gabbed them. 

I bought Milani baked blushes in Rose'Doro and Luminoso. Rose'Doro is a pretty deep warm pink color with golden veins running through it whereas, Luminoso is a peachy baked blush with tiny golden flecks that adds the right amount of luminescence to my face.

As for the 'illuminating' face powder, I bought the darkest of the lot named Hermosa Rose. There are two more shades available: Amber Nectar and Beauty's Touch. The Milani illuminating face powders can multi-task as a highlighter, blush, and bronzer based on your complexion. The powder has pretty roses engraved on them which makes them a collectors item. The blushes cost me 8 dollars each and the face powder, 9 dollars.

As for the cherryculture service, I was quite happy. Placed my order on 24th May, received a confirmation mail on 26th May and received my package on 10th June . The only cons regarding the site would be the unavailability of variety of brands and high shipping charges. I shelled out around 13 Dollars (Rs.780 ) for shipping. Luckily I didn't had to pay additional Customs duty.

While I was doing my bit of research over the best brushes available in International market that ships to India, I stumbled across the brand Makeup Geek, which is the brain child of the beauty blogger Marlena . Makeup Geek eye shadows are famous within the YouTube beauty community. What most people don't know is that Makeup Geek has a brush line which is often compared to Sigma and MAC brushes, some of them are as good as the high-end ones. They ship to India at a very nominal rate of 6 dollars (Rs.360) !!!you heard it right 6 dollars.

I bought Foundation Stippling brush ($18) and Angled Contour brush ($9). I placed my order on 24th May, received confirmation mail on 31st May and I received my package on 8th June . First impression: awesome brushes for the price. I will be writing a detailed post on the makeup brush shopping sites available. I didn't pay customs duty for this package either.

I have a real techniques brush package pending. I had placed an order with their official site because of low shipping charges, but little did I know that they would take eternity  to send out a confirmation mail (I have not received it up until now). That wraps my haul for this month. I'm eyeing the L'oreal moist matte lippy, but don't have the heart to shell out 900 bucks for a drugstore brand. So what do you guys think about my mini haul. What did you guys haul this month.