makeup – That Madras Mom

November 20, 2025November 26, 2025

What not to miss in Nykaa Pink Friday Sale

Spending on skincare and makeup once in a while is more than just indulgence,it’s selfcare. The key is to be mindful and make smart choices. That’s why beauty sales like Nykaa’s Pink Friday Sale are such a wise option. You get to treat yourself to luxe brands and everyday essentials without straining your budget. Think of it as the perfect time to refresh your vanity, stock up on staples, or finally splurge on that cultfavorite product you’ve been eyeing.

The Nykaa Pink Friday Sale is here with up to 60% off across luxe makeup, skincare, bath & body, and haircare essentials. Below is a curated guide to the must have deals that beauty lovers shouldn’t miss.

✨ Luxe Makeup Steals

MAC – Iconic lipsticks and Studio Fix foundations are available at flat 25–30% off. Perfect time to restock cult shades like Ruby Woo.

NARS – Their radiant creamy concealer and blushes (Orgasm, anyone?) are discounted up to 35%.

Estée Lauder – The legendary Double Wear Foundation is part of the sale, with luxe skincare minis bundled in.

Laneige – The Lip Sleeping Mask and Water Bank Cream are marked down by 20–25%, ideal for winter hydration.

🌿 Skincare Essentials

CeraVe – Hydrating Cleanser and Moisturizing Cream are available at up to 30% off. Great for barrier repair.

Beauty of Joseon – The Glow Serum and Relief Sun SPF are trending, with 20% discounts.

Cetaphil – Gentle Skin Cleanser and Moisturizing Lotion are budget friendly with 25% off.

Minimalist – Actives like Vitamin C and AHA PHA Peeling Solution are discounted up to 30%, making it a smart time to experiment with targeted skincare.

🛁 Bath & Body Indulgence

Sol de Janeiro – The Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and Cheirosa body mists are part of luxe bundles with 20–25% off.

Nykaa Wanderlust – Affordable shower gels and body lotions in fun fragrances (Japanese Cherry Blossom, Mediterranean Sea Salt) are buy 1 get 1 during the sale.

💇 Haircare Highlights

L’Oréal Paris – The Dream Lengths and Extraordinary Oil ranges are discounted up to 30%.

WishCare – Their Fermented Rice Water Shampoo & Conditioner are available at 20% off, perfect for strengthening hair naturally.

🛍️ Smart Shopping Tips

Bundle buys: Nykaa often adds luxe minis with fullsize purchases—great for travel kits.

Wishlist strategy: Add products to your cart early; popular shades and serums sell out fast.

Stack savings: Use Nykaa gift cards or bank offers for extra discounts.

As a skincare and makeup enthusiast (and proud Nykaa affiliate), I see the Pink Friday Sale as more than just discounts, it’s a chance to curate your beauty shelf thoughtfully. Whether you’re investing in luxe staples like Estée Lauder’s foundation or stocking up on barrier friendly cleansers from CeraVe, this sale balances indulgence with practicality.

My advice: mix one luxe splurge with a few everyday essentials. That way, your haul feels both exciting and sustainable.

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.

November 8, 2024

My Shopping Experience at Tira Beauty: A Beauty Lover’s Paradise

I recently visited Tira Beauty, a new entrant in the beauty retail space, and I must say, it was an experience like no other! Located in the bustling Phoenix Market City, Velachery in Chennai, Tira Beauty offers a unique and personalized shopping experience that sets it apart from other beauty stores. Ever since I knew that they were opening up, I couldn’t contain the excitement in me to visit them.

The Store Layout

As soon as I walked into the store, I was greeted by a sleek and modern layout. The store is divided into different sections for makeup, skincare, haircare, and more. Each section is well-organized, making it easy to navigate and find what you’re looking for. This way of clutter free display made it easier to shop.

The Beauty Vending Machine

One of Tira Beauty’s standout features is its beauty vending machine. This innovative machine allows shoppers to select a product sample and collect it easily. All you need to do is register and enter an OTP, and you’re good to go! It’s a fun and easy way to try out new products. Don’t I sound like an excited kid who just got a souvenir at the fair?

The Fragrance Finder

Another remarkable feature is the fragrance finder, an AI-powered console that helps users explore scents effortlessly. You select an olfactory note, and the machine identifies it, providing a range of perfume options available in the store. This makes finding the perfect fragrance a breeze. What a wonderful way to get options of scents to your liking instead of searching through the aisles.

Smart Mirrors

Tira Beauty also has smart mirrors that allow customers to try makeup under different lighting conditions. This ensures that you make the right choices for your skin tone and lighting environment. It’s a great way to see how a product will look in real life. This is so helpful especially when you want to purchase foundations and skin tints. If you pick the wrong shade, you’re totally spoiled. Thank goodness for innovations like these that help in making it convenient for us to shop.

Skin Analysis and Recommendations

The store also offers a makeup try-on station connected to a tablet that analyzes your skin. It rates factors like dullness, UV damage, and oiliness, and calculates your skin age to offer tailored skincare and makeup product recommendations. This personalized approach is a game-changer for beauty shopping. This is a game changer, makes your job much easier so that you don’t spend long hours.

Hair Station

For those in a hurry, Tira Beauty has a hair station powered by Dyson for quick blowouts. It’s perfect for office-goers seeking a last-minute style fix. If you’re not sure whether to invest or no, this is a great way to try on the tools. Oh yeah, step in before going to a party and you’re all set(wink).

Gift Customization Station

Near the billing counter, there’s a gift customization station where you can add a personal touch by engraving initials, names, or messages on glass-body products. It’s a thoughtful way to make your gifts even more special. To my friends who are like-minded skincare and makeup girlies, this is a boon.

Overall Impression

My overall experience at Tira Beauty was fantastic. The combination of innovative technology, personalized service, and a wide range of products made it a beauty lover’s paradise. Whether you’re a makeup enthusiast or a skincare aficionado, Tira Beauty has something for everyone.

I highly recommend checking out Tira Beauty if you’re in the area. It’s a one-stop shop for all your beauty needs, and the shopping experience is truly one-of-a-kind. I purchased a couple of products and you can check my skincare and makeup haul.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you have any more requests or need further assistance, feel free to ask. 😊

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

October 21, 2024October 24, 2024

Navratri Golu: Celebrating Tradition, Family, and Culture Close to My Heart

Navratri Golu is a vibrant and cherished tradition in South India, especially in Tamilnadu. During the nine nights, families set up steps to showcase a multi-tiered display of dolls and figurines called Golu.
The depictions differ for each family as they could be scenes from daily life or Hindu mythology. Every evening, families offer foods such as pulses and sweets to the Golu as prasad and exchange greetings, gifts, and sweets. They sing devotional songs together and recite shlokas that give a divine vibe. Children and adults enjoy the creativity and craftsmanship involved in making these displays. Some of these dolls or figurines are carried across generations. There is a lot of happiness when you visit Golus at other houses to watch the type of dolls they’ve used in their displays. The nine days are dedicated to celebrating Goddess Durga in her different forms.

This is a good time to get together with family members and friends that foster community spirit and cultural heritage. There is a recent color code that started becoming a trend. Every year before Navratri a colour code is devised that lists out colours for each day.

Months before Navratri we take time to plan the food items to offer, dolls to display, the themes to decide, dresses to wear, and return gifts to give people who visit the house.

This trend of deciding what to wear as per the color code for the year impressed me much. In 2020, I started draping sarees as per the color code. This is a great way to wear sarees that have been lying around in the wardrobe. Restyle the sarees in different ways. My mother used to help me decide the sarees and choose what accessories that go with them.

2021, everything was all set for the golu that year from guest lists to sarees to drape, and what prasad to offer each day, but there came a big blow that we never expected. We lost mom to a sudden massive heart attack. My entire world came down shattered into pieces which I’d never knew I’d be able to build back again.

Days passed but I couldn’t gather myself, but I decided what I should do. I draped the sarees of my mom in memory of her. Every saree felt like a warm hug. Touchwood, till this year I’ve been draping sarees as per the color code each year. It gives me a sense of joy to celebrate what mom loved to do and how she would love to see me. Golu every year is so special to me, I carry forward the tradition from mom and would take it forward to the next.

This post is a part of ‘Feeling Festive Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed .

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

January 13, 2023

5 must try makeup trends from tik tok

The beauty industry and makeup trends never sleep. The learning process of implementing new hacks or viral trends is no longer tough. Social media keeps you updated on trends and do not forget the tutorials to let you join the bandwagon of trends.

Though we did keep ourselves confined at home for years, the beauty and skincare industry kept coming up with new trends that kept the ball rolling. Not only these bring out creativity but a lot of these gave a refreshing turn to the monotonous makeup that we have been putting on all these years. Most importantly, a few hacks helped minimize the cost of product purchase and saved a lot of time in terms of the hacks used.

So here goes the list of 5 must try makeup trends from tik tok.

Glazed donut everything

Glazed donut skin . Image source : femina

The term sounds yummy, but the benefit it yields is more worthwhile. Hailey Bieber had to say that she does not want to look like a glazed donut when she hits the bed. A lot of us would want the same, not have full makeup on when we have the beauty sleep. So it’s advisable to cleanse off the makeup and moisturize the skin before you go to bed. So when you wake up your skin is glistening and glowing.

Red nails Theory

Since @girlbosstown popularized last year that red nails were getting her a lot of attention, the trend has been coming back. It attracts the opposite sex because they have pretty much seen their moms wearing those during the 90s and taking care of them which is the reason why they seem attracted.
#rednailtheory tag is full of women posting how it really worked for them.

Cold girl makeup

This viral trend is set to continue for some time longer though it became popular last year. The trend included applying blush from cheek to cheek and the tip of the nose giving a complexion flush during the winters when we come back from outside.

Wednesday Addams Glam

The goth glam comprising the ponytail, and smudgy eye makeup that Jenna Ortega portrayed in Netflix blockbuster Wednesday inspired thousands of beauty lovers to replicate the same. Beauty lovers eagerly anticipate the next season in Fall to get the trend.

Skin cycling

The trend is to improve the efficacy of the active ingredients and minimize irritation through rest periods. Starting with exfoliating on one night followed by retinoid on the second and then resting on the third and fourth. Night two is most beneficial for the skin and helps treat acne to eczema. 3 and 4 are recovery nights that can just be followed up with cleansing and moisturizing. But if you have dry skin, you can just lock moisture with suited products.

So here are some tried and tested successful trends that can keep you busy trying them out for the next couple of days if you are a makeup or a skincare enthusiast like me. Let me know in the comments if you would be trying or already tried any of these trends.

December 11, 2022December 11, 2022

How to protect your lips ? Winter lipcare secrets

Not many people who love the cold weather, can’t deny the fact it is harsh on your skin. It is so harsh on the skin, especially the lips. The cold and chill air, dry and heated air combination make it tight and easy to get cracked.

The first thing you think about before you step out is to cover the body, the last thing you think of would be the mouth or sometimes we even forget to cover it up. Lip skin is tight and delicate, different from the rest of the body, and requires extra TLC. if you compare the magnitude, it dries out ten times faster than the rest of the body.

This is predominant because the lips are covered with 3-5 layers of cells rather than the rest of the body where the skin has 15-16 layers. So being thin in nature it is susceptible to damage like dryness, dullness, and cracks.

The vermillion or the place where you apply lipstick has a thin protective barrier and hence it is more prone to UV damage and pollution.

How to take care of your lips?

CHOOSE THE RIGHT LIP BALM

Choose an ointment-based lip balm

Look for those which have petrolatum and glycerine that help in locking the moisture and help in healing the cracks and dryness.

Avoid those with eucalyptus and menthol

Although these lip balms seem to give you a soothing experience when applied, they tend to dry out the lips. So in the long run they will again lead to dryness and the cycle continues.

Use one’s which have sunscreen

Being thin in nature the lip skin gets more exposed to UV radiation be it summer or winter. Hence using one that has sunscreen will help protect against harmful radiation.

Keep yourself hydrated

Not getting enough hydration leads to dehydration also is one of the reasons for dried lips. Make sure to get the right amount of water.

No licking

It is a natural human tendency to lick the lips when we feel it is dry, but on the contrary, it makes the situation worse. It dries the lip out even faster. Moreover, saliva tends to irritate the lips.

Say no to rub and bites

The dryness may tend to make you get rid of the flaky skin so you attempt to either rub it off or bite it away. It can aggravate the cracking and even lead to sores. So try to control the urge to bite or rub the flakes away.

Prevention of chapped lips

When it comes to preventing chapped lips, following a lip protection regime as part of the morning, night, and outdoor skincare routine is essential. Lock the moisture in your lips by applying a lip balm before getting to bed.

Here are my product recommendations tried and tested for lip care.

Laneige lip sleeping mask

Vilvah grapefruit lipbalm

Ennbeauty pucker lip mask with hyaluronic acid