Jazz... Gym... Vampires

Hiya... after 3 months of Jazz, the instructor finally noticed and appreciated me today. I am on a high.

I still remember joining the classes 3 years back. I used to have Sat and Sundays off... without a car then, NCR was a boring boring place. I decided to join the Sunday batch to kill time. I cannot dance, 'coz of which I am not too fond of it either. The objective was never to learn dance... but maybe to lose some weight. I would go through the motions, try to match the steps and just get through the class. After 2 months I moved out of NCR.

This time I decided to join the classes to lose weight... and learn something in the process. The first month was not too great... I was shy... and conscious. By the end of it, I learned something... I could remember the steps and perform them. It made me very happy. In the 2nd month, I was quite confident that I would be better than the newcomers. Unfortunately, dance is about talent and hard work. When others are more talented, I need to work harder to get better than them. Since I was not competing, this did not make me feel good. The 3rd month was the best... I could now remember the steps, pick them up quite fast... and perform them. I renewed the membership.

After more than 3 months, the instructor praised me on my energy and performance today. It was great... I can feel I am better and someone else noticing it is the best feeling...

Few things I have done to improve: (No.. I did not practice at home.. not once... too lazy)

• I downloaded the songs that are played in class and listen them over and over and over again. I started to like them and just listening to them again in class made me get into rhythm. This really helped. 2 of those songs are now my ringtone.
• I realized that listening to the song over and over again can make me like it. For example, we have song for the month on which dance steps are choreographed. I did not like this month's song when I first heard it... but now I really like it.
• I reach class early and revise the steps. I cannot remember the steps once I come home. I doubt I will be able to perform them once class is over. So, I reach early and revise with the other students. This helps perform better in class.
• Clothes: NCR beats Mumbai's ass when it comes to fashion. The girls in my class dress so well... those who have the figure, do flaunt it in their tiny shorts and spaghetti tops. It is important to be able to see how your body is moving. After weeks of wearing either loose tops/bottoms to hide my body, today I went with hips hugging tracks (I bought them 3 years back specifically for the class) and a tight top. I was surprised to see myself perform the steps correctly... something, I didn't realize earlier. But, good clothes can bring a lot of confidence
• Confidence: The class has mirrors placed in front. We are all encouraged to look at ourselves while dancing. Now, that is damn difficult 'coz all newcomers do not like how awkward they look in the beginning. Also, dance means being absolutely comfy and proud of your body... 'coz you have to flaunt it... I am not. We were made to do exercises where we looked at the mirror and proclaimed our love. No kidding. Funny... but it worked. I try and position myself so that I can see myself in the mirror.

I have joined the gym as well... for 2 reasons:

• I have gotten into the habit of waking up at 6 am... and now I can hit the gym in the mornings... to lose weight and tone up. I tried jogging/walking... which is fine... but it does not tone up the body
• I have bought a lot of workout clothes recently... and 2 days in a week is not enough to wear them. Ok, this one is a big motivation for me. Call me fickle... but whatever works for me.

On a totally unrelated note... below are soaps I am completely addicted to these days:

• Gossip Girl: The series is about 4 friends from Manhattan... rich, popular and screwed up... Serena, Nate, Chuck and Blair. There is Ted somewhere in the equation. They are rich, spoilt brats but stick together against outsiders. I hate that I can only watch 1 episode per week now.
• How I met your mother: This needs no introduction. Of course, it has started dragging now... the whole Barney, Ted and Robin triangle is sooo old season and boring. Also, high time we got to meet the mother.
• 90210: Another series about rich, spoilt teenagers... this time in California.
• Vampire Diaries: Love it... every episode has twists which are unpredictable...
• True Blood: I just started watching it... its about vampires but is gross and scary... and slow. But I have read great reviews. Right now, I am hooked.

Today was a perfect day... love mid week holidays... looking forward to the long break of Diwali:

• 7.45- 8.45 am : Gym
• 10: 30 am: B'fast
• 12. 30 pm: Lunch
• 1-3 pm: Nap
• 3 pm: Bath
• 4-6 pm: Search for the perfect couch in budget
• 7- 8.15 pm: Jazz

Good night...

Clothes... shoes... make up... fashion

Hey!!! I am addicted... to so many things these days:

• Vampire Diaries: I loved the first few books (the last 2 were pretty boring)... but the series was quite good. It did not follow the book strictly, was scary and much more interesting. I am waiting for season 3 to begin... do not know how to pass time until then
• Online Shopping: I came across the website fashionandyou.com through Femina magazine. It is quite good. I always wondered how people shop online... without the touch, feel and trial factor. I never buy anything without trying it first. I made the first purchase around 1-2 months back and now am hooked. My first purchase were leggings and kurta from "W"... the fit was great and at a discount. The next purchase were tees from Disney and Adidas... each costing less than 400 bucks. And now, I am addicted. I wait for 11 am for the new sale to begin. Footwear, I have bought for 2k (Enroute) are available for 700 bucks online. Cool, na? Of course, you have to be fast... atleast twice it has happened that by the time I started paying, the products got sold out. Delivery is a little delayed... could take anywhere between 1-3 weeks. If you want to join, let me know. I will send an invite... it will give me some credits (Thats NOT why I mentioned it here).
• Make up: This post is really about make up... something I have inculcated in my life a year back. Till I was in college (grad and post grad) application was limited to parties... mostly an eye liner and lipstick. Never more than that. My first job involved a lot of travel... mainly to rural places and make up was limited to kajal (technically- its not make up). Working in the beauty industry had made me more aware.. its difficult to resist temptation when make up is all around me. For the past one year, make up has become part of my daily routine. I do not leave home without it (unless I am going grocery shopping).

My reviews on products and tips are below:

• Base make up: For the longest time I was oblivious to the importance of base make up. It mainly includes foundation, concealer and compact powder. I skip concealer 'coz its awfully difficult to apply and can look bad if not done correctly. As for foundation, I have experimented with many, before finding my preferred brand. I started with Chambor's foundation (since Mom is a fan) but was using the incorrect shade until a colleague pointed that out. Its so difficult to figure these things out. I tried L'Oreal's True Match foundation but did not like the heavy coverage. I like low coverage so that the face does not look too made up. I came across Lancome accidently... it is an imported brand with limited outlets in India (Mumbai- Phoenix Mills, Delhi- Select City Walk Mall). The foundation is called Tient Miracle and covers pores, gives a glow and is perfect was party wear. It is pricey at 2700 bucks... but so worth it. Its my most expensive buy- I do not have any clothes or shoes that have cost so much. But its worth it. I have saved it for party wear. For daily wear, I discovered L'Oreal's mineral foundation. This is perfect for my oily skin. It gives an amazing glow to the skin without making it oily.... also, there is no need for compact. Another daily wear foundation is the recently launched L'Oreal Mousse... love it. It spreads easily but compact application is needed. I think Revlon also has mineral make up but I do not like that brand... for some reason. When buying a foundation, always inquire for the shade at atleast 2 counters since the beauty advisers can get it wrong. Better safe than sorry. A good foundation makes all the difference and is most important. Take it from someone who never used it before and now is not comfy being seen without it at work or on an outing. I am not very choosy about compact and have been using Chambor for the longest time.
• Next step is eyeshadow. There are so many, many, many options. I used to look up videos on you tube to learn the correct application. There are so many ways to apply eye shadow... it was quite confusing. Also, very few women wear eyeshadow in India and it can end up looking out of place- specially at work. I just apply it on my eye lids.... thats it... no highlighter, nothing on brow bones... nothing to make eyes look bigger or smaller. Also, if I am using a catchy shade like blue or green, I skip the eyeliner. When I use base shades like brown or pink, I apply an eyeliner also. Coming to brands... Mac is the best out there... at 900 bucks its pricey. Go for Mac if you are looking for that perfect shade... they have the largest range. Lakme and Maybelline are good within budget... L'Oreal eye shadows are nothing to write home about. Revlon sucks... I bought their kit with 4 shades but they settle on the eye lid crease after a few hours. Max Factor is another good brand. Clarins is the only brand with liquid eye shadow but they have very basic shades (brown, goldenish, pink, green) and are pricey at 990 bucks.
• Eye liner: There are so many kinds available in the market now. When I was in college, everyone used Lakme's liquid eye liner which took ages to dry and you had to be careful before opening your eyes incase it had not dried and would smudge. It took me a lot of practice to be able to apply it correctly. None of that anymore. The best options are gel liners... smooth, applied with a brush, do not smudge... Maybelline, L'Oreal and MAC have these liners. Maybelline is budget and strictly ok... L'Oreal is better but has only black shade... MAC is pricey at 900 or 1000 bucks but has many shades- brown, copper, green, peacock green, peacock blue, bluish purple, black etc. I have only 2 liquid liners... L'Oreal and Lakme... both are good. For pencils liners, I think Chambor is best... Maybelline has many shades but I do not like them... L'Oreal's contour liner pencil is also good. It does not smudge.
• Mascara: I did not understand the importance of a mascara until recently. I love how they make the lashes look. There are many options in the market but I have not experimented with too many... for lengthening, volume, curl, defining etc. I read somewhere that washable is better than waterproof 'coz it is less harmful. Not sure about the facts. My first mascara was Maybelline which dried 'coz of under use. Many years later I bought Mac's defining mascara. It didn't do much since my lashes are not long and curled. Next I bought Mac's volumizing and curling mascara which is better suited. Don't go by the way a beauty adviser demonstrates its application. They tend to over apply... also, it takes some getting used to. It makes the lashes feel slightly heavy and that can be uncomfy. Go for a good brand... and practice. It is worth it. Also, its important to curl the lashes with an eye lash curler before application. It hardly costs 20-30 bucks.
• Lipsticks: Again... so many options... long lasting, matte, glossy, lip gloss. Whichever... it will need touch ups... My favourites are Chambor's long lasting, Mac's lipsticks (for that perfect orange shade), Lakme (cheap and tikkao), L'Oreal's color riche. Mac has all kinds of shades... pale pink to bright orange red. Its pricey at 900 bucks... so go for the niche shades. Lakme is good for generic shades... L'Oreal has very nice, glossy nudes not found in other brands. I had tried Colorbar's long wear lipsticks... they hardly lasted and dried my lips real bad. So, pick with care.
• Nails: Females in my workplace in Mumbai actually matched their nail paint to the outfit... and yet turned up at work at 9 am (after spending 1-1.5 hours in traffic). Thats dedication. I can barely change the paint twice in a week... sometimes, even once is an effort. I have so many, many shades... Lakme, Maybelline, Colorbar, Vov... Lakme is good for generic shades... Maybelline has funky colors like green, purple, black, yellow, orange etc... My fav is Color Bar... they have a huge range- 2-3 shades of green, pinks, purple, blue, yellow, purple. Not bad at 150 bucks. I do not see the point in spending 600-700 bucks on nail paint for brands like L'Oreal, Inglot etc.
• There are many other things I have missed out- primer, blush, lipliner.... but I generally skip these. For a party, they can be included... but otherwise skip it.

All comments and suggestions welcome. A girly post after a long time...