ATB BB Series: Does "Thin Privilege" Exist?

It has been about 8 odd months since I began my HFLC (High Fat Low Carb) / Wheat Belly diet. As a result of which I have lost weight and transitioned from being "fat" or "obese" to what might be called normal sized now (I'm wearing a Medium / size 10 so I guess I'm normal).

I was always subconsciously aware that our society seems to favour the thin. However the difference never really stuck me until I became a normal sized person.

Now, I'm not talking about clothes not being available in certain sizes and stuff. Those things, I feel, are dictated by supply - demand & the scale of economies a lot more than simple prejudice. So I know a lot of people are up in arms over Abercrombie & Fitch's recent public announcement that they want to sell only to the "Thin & Beautiful" and hence the women's clothing line will not feature clothes above Large. But I think that is okay. All companies are in the business to make money, and therefore adopt strategies accordingly. 

One wouldn't get angry at ALL for retailing only Plus size clothes, right? 

Where are the Nail Paint Testers?

Nail products have taken off in a really big way in India.

We have brands coming up with collections exclusively based around nail paints. For example the recent Pop Tints Launch by Lakme.

The New Lakme Pop Tints on my nails

Most of these products cost anywhere between 150 to 400 rupees. I'm talking mostly about drugstore brands here: Lakme, Maybelline, Revlon, Colorbar & Faces.

However neither of these brands seem to think it is important to offer nail paint testers to customers. It is present neither at their kiosks in department stores, nor at their flagship stores (at least not in Infinity - II. I was there yesterday and at all stores they didn't have testers for nail paints).

I don't get why they would not offer testers for nail paints to customers. It can't be because the range is too big. They have a similarly big range in lipsticks - all of these brands - and they seem to offer testers there. So why leave out the nail paints?

Sometimes some SAs let you try them on the sly from a new bottle. But it all depends on the SA, some are sticklers for rules and won't budge.

Is it because nail paints dry out once opened? Maybe companies do have a valid reason for not offering testers. Maybe it gets infected with bacteria and is a liquid product - but then so are foundations! And by that count there should be absolutely no testers for liquid eye liners.Is it because then they will have to offer acetone to customers as well?

But I'm just curious. As a consumer, I would obviously like to be sure before forking out the dough.

Does the lack of nail paint testers bum you out as well? Why do you think they do it? 

ATB BB Series 10: Clickity "Click"

It has been roughly 7 months since I changed the way I eat. Before this I spent most of my late twenties bigger than I wanted to be.

It was hardly because I wanted to be like that. I really doubt *anyone* wants to be like that. And it certainly wasn't due to lack of trying. But even when I was eating food that was home-made, it was all still imbalanced as it had too many carbs  and a huge proportion of it was whole grains. (It is a big myth that there are good carbs & bad carbs. To the body they are all the same.)

 It was extremely disappointing to eat well all week and yet lose nothing, at times worse, to gain! It did make abstaining from junk food more difficult too. If after a month of eating well - eating calorie counted rotis & sabzis with no oil plus exercising- you still put on weight, it made little rational sense to abstain from the Chinese food & Death by chocolate pastries. 

Part of the fault lay in my own understanding of how the body deals with Carbohydrates. Weaned on the typical Indian diet of carbohydrates, as well media fueled frenzy of "Fat/Non Vegetarian is Bad" it is easy to fall into that trap. Luckily we are the generation that has Google & internet and therefore access to a lot of information. Once I understood how the body works on an hormonal level, it has been a breeze to lose weight. 

So, is the "Low Carb / Atkins / Paleo / Primal / Wheat Belly / LCHF" diet difficult to follow?

Revlon Lash Fantasy Total Definition Mascara - Review

It claims: Revlon Lash Fantasy Total Definition™ Mascara Waterproof nourishes thickens and lengthens lashes with amazing clump free definition!

- Vitamin enriched primer nourishes, lifts and makes lashes look up to 70% longer
- Mascara delivers thickness and rich, intense color impact that lasts all day, without smudging or flaking
- NEW Lash Separating brushes comb through every single lash for beautiful definition without clumping

Price: Rs. 750 /- for 4.4 ml

Shade: 101 Blackest Black

What worked well: (Not much!)

1. The brush is very nice, it is bendy and it has these short bristles that really help you grab the curved lashes right from the roots. 

2. The shade blackest black is very dark – true black & it does makes your lashes look longer and more defined.

ATB featured in Cosmopolitan March '13

Hey Girls!

ATB has been featured again in Cosmo!

I was a part of the lucky 5 bloggers who were sent a bunch of products to review by Cosmo for their March '13 edition.

ATB BB Series 9: Help! I've stalled...

As a woman, stalls are a source of great pleasure, but only those that line fashion streets of various cities. A Stall in your weight loss journey, isn't met with the same enthusiasm however.

A Stall technically when you don't lose weight for more than 3 months or so despite following the diet / workout regime. It is a hyper-reactive world where we want fast results and most people panic if they don't lose weight even over the period of 24 hours! My advice to such people is to relax! It even takes a skincare product at least 21 days of continuous usage to show benefits. Besides you didn't put on a kilo a day to begin with, so why the desperation now.

A stall is not always negative. You may be still burning fat, but it is the body's way to adjust itself to the new form and so it takes a break. Weight loss in a low-carb diet does happen a little bit in spurts, so will stall for two weeks or so and then suddenly, almost overnight, lose 2-3 kgs.

When I started the diet, about 2 & 1/2 months into the diet I seemed to have stalled. I didn't lose any weight for over a month, despite following the diet quite strictly. And then suddenly over the span of 7 days I lost close to 5 kgs.

However some foods are suspected to cause stalls. If you have stalled, see if you are able to locate the offender in the list below.

Maybelline BB Stick in Fawn & Radiance - Review

It claims: 

Controls shine - Mineral Clay formula helps keep skin shine-free all day

Lasts all day - Powder Finish, resists sweat and sebum up to 12 hours

Clears - Reduces the appearance of dark spots, redness, fine lines and wrinkles

Refines - Reduces the appearance of pores

Conceals - Instantly hides flaws and imperfections

Evens - Corrects uneven skin tone

Smoothens - Makes skin feel smooth, soft and supple

Protects - SPF21/PA+++ protects harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Shades available: 02 Radiance & 04 Fawn

Price: Rs. 250

What I liked: 

1. Where do I start? It really does almost everything it claims. Let's talk coverage: This is fairly pigmented and provides medium to heavy coverage. This means that it really works like a BB cream should - it conceals & evens out the skin, yet it doesn't look overdone or cakey. It is easy to build up coverage if needed. It does even out the skin.