my skin care regimen

I have combination to oily skin...but I have always had a healthy glowing skin..Never had a single pimple, acne, blemish or scar on my face. People are always praising about my skin, and in hostel all girls were like peeping into my cupboard to know my secret products. They even cross checked with my roommates whether I would do any secret beauty treatment/ ritual which I was hiding from them.....but I never did anything other than CTM regularly and religiously....not even applied a face pack ever...poor little crazy girls!!!!

My routine:

I wash my face wash with a face wash every morning to get rid of the oil accumulated overnight on my T-zone. I used to use pears face wash from my teens till college, when there was only one pears face wash. I changed to clean and clear ever since pears got the new variants as I do not to like the smell of even one. I even carry a small handy (INR15) pack to work, in case I need to wash my face in this highly humid place Kolkata.

While taking bath i either wash with garnier light fairness face wash or lotus herbals jojoba with active mili capsules face wash. Apart from this i have used neutragena deep pore cleansing face wash, himalaya and lacto calamine face wash. All of these were free samples or free gifts along with other products and so used them up.

At night after I am back from work I remove all make up with my Maybelline eye and lip makeup remover(for review click HERE).

Then I cleanse with lakme/garnier cleansing milk. Just dab cleansing milk all over and wipe with cotton dabbed with rose water. Then wash with any of one the face washes.

After this cleansing regimen i follow it up with a toner. I have used aroma magic skin freshener, himalya toner, dabur gulabari rose water.......but presently i am in love with ramdev baba's divya prakritic gulab jal.

 after this i moisturise with an oil free moisturiser. i love clean and clear nad neutragena for combination skin.

i exfoliate once a week. i normally use st. ives apricot scrub. often it goes out of stock..then i have used lotus herbals apricot scrub and hiphop strawberry scrub but st. ives remains my favourite

So there you go.......all my secrets revealed. Go pamper your skin and get to know what works best for you. Once you know what works and what does not for you, just follow it. Do not experiment too much. Love your skin and pamper yourself.

All about Make-up remover and Cleansers

We all love makeup so much ............and no wonder we are all of us are so crazy about it. But an integral part of makeup is a clean, clear, blemish free, healthy, even skin tone that makes makeup application super easy. To achieve this we should maintain a regular skin care regimen of which cleansing is the first and vital step. All oil, dirt, pollution, makeup..Every speck that accumulates on our face should be scrupulously cleaned religiously every day before going to bed. How many times have we heard and read that do not sleep with makeup on...but still at the end of the day we are at times really lazy. Today in this post I shall discuss the various options and methods available for makeup removal.

Bi-phasic/dual phase makeup removers: these are available from both drugstore and high end brands. Two separate layers of liquid can be visibly seen and the bottle needs to be shaken before use so that that both layers merge into one layer. Very friendly to skin and eyes and effective for waterproof makeup too.

 My pick: eye and lip makeup remover (for review click HERE)

Crème makeup removers: these are creamy in consistency and normally available in a tube packaging. Effective for waterproof makeup too.

 My pick: street wear makeup remover, Revlon eye makeup remover

Cleansing milk: most cleansing milks can effectively remove makeup though with some brands removing waterproof makeup may be a tough deal. They normally sting if accidentally enters eyes.

My pick: lakme fundamentals deep pore cleanser, garnier cleansing milk, Himalaya cleansing milk

Bodylotion/face lotion/baby crème /any moisturising lotion: these too can be used in case no other option is available. Just apply a little over the area, leave for one minute and wipe with wet cotton. Be careful with eyes, it may be sting dangerously.

My pick: Himalaya face moisturising lotion, Vaseline body lotion

Almond oil: many girls swear by this and this too is effective.

My pick: rogan shirin badam oil

Olive oil: Just apply a little over the area, leave for one minute and wipe with wet cotton. You could wet it with rose water too.

My pick: bertolli olive oil

Vaseline: this is easier than the oils as it is thicker and easy to apply, especially around eyes and very effective too.

My pick: Vaseline petroleum jelly original

Baby oil: out of the numerous beauty uses of baby oil removing makeup has been top favourites of all makeup junkies.

My pick: Johnson’s baby oil

Baby shampoo: does not cause any eye irritation and hence very friendly for removing eye makeup

My pick: no more tears Johnson’s baby shampoo

After removing every trace of makeup do cleanse your face by following up with your face wash. Then use your favourite toner and moisturiser.

My picks: clean and clear foaming face wash, patanjali divya kanti gulab jal, clean and clear oil free moisturiser

FABINDIA fruity vanilla lip butter:review

this is my first fabindia product and i am totally in love with these.....now i know why all girls are raving about fabindia products.......

PRICE: INR75 for 10gms

INGREDIENTS: Cocoa butter, lanolin anhydrous, wheatgerm oil, cetyl alcohol, castor oil, emulsifying wax, microcrystalline wax, sorbitan olivate, caprilic capric triglyceride, sesame oil, vegetable squalene, beeswax, kokum butter, olive wax, tocopheryl acetate, fruity vanilla essence, propyl paraben, butylated hydroxyl toluene.

CONSISTENCY:it really has a thick waxy consistency

it moisturises really well, and is good for all with chapped lips. the flavour is yummy, i just feel like licking it all up. i actually got attracted to the product beacause of its lovely flavour.

what i like:

• the flavour is yummy
• travel friendly cute tub
• steal at this price
• moisturises pretty well
• stays for 3-4 hours easily
• does not spread all over and stays on once applied
• one and a half years shelf life
• provides nice sheen to lips

what i dislike

• due to tub packaging it is unhygienic and tends to get into nails
• does not have SPF
• availability can be a issue for some, where fabindia outlets are not present (you can order online though)
• as it is on heavier side cannot be worn as a base below your lipstick
• no tint

overall rating; 8/10

lotus herbals safe sun daily multifunction sunblock SPF 70 PA+++ REVIEW

lotus herbals safe sun daily multifunction sunblock SPF 70 PA+++ : a daily sunblock with carrot and avocado extracts.

 


 price: INR495 for 60gms (i got it for INR 346 from medplusbeauty.com)

company claims: A revolutionary preservative free, light weight formulation containing potent herbal extracts with multiple benefits.Suitable for all skin types, It has the following 10 benefits:

•  Gives high UVA & UVB protection
• Tan prevention
• prevention of brown spots and pigmentation
• skin lightening benefits
• anti-wrinkle benefits
• protection from freckles, sun spots & sun burn
•  anti-ageing properties
• Health prevention- helps to prevent skin cancer
•  carrot and avocado extracts: healing properties that soften, smoothen and nourishes the skin
•  preservative- free safe formula

 This advanced sunblock not only protects the skin from UVB rays but also from the more harmful, tan
causing UVA rays. Enriched with potent herbal extracts, this revolutionary sun block is
completely free of preservatives.

before i say anything else on the product a short information about SUN PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF):

The SPF is the amount of UV radiation required to cause sunburn on skin with the sunscreen on, as a multiple of the amount required without the sunscreen.There is a popular oversimplification of how SPF determines how long one can stay in the sun. For example, many users believe that, if they normally get sunburn in one hour, then an SPF 15 sunscreen allows them to stay in the sun fifteen hours (i.e. fifteen times longer) without getting sunburn. This would be true if the intensity of UV radiation were the same for the whole fifteen hours as in the one hour, but this is not normally the case. Intensity of solar radiation varies considerably with time of day. During early morning and late afternoon, the sun's radiation intensity is diminished since it must pass through more of the Earth's atmosphere while it is near the horizon.
In practice, the protection from a particular sunscreen depends, besides on SPF, on factors such as:

• The skin type of the user.
• The amount applied and frequency of re-application.
• Activities in which one engages (for example, swimming leads to a loss of sunscreen from the skin).
• Amount of sunscreen the skin has absorbed.

my take on the product:

It is true to its claim of being an oil free formulation. It is very light,non-sticky, slightly tinted and gives very slight coverage. It is neither too thick nor too runny and has a nice texture that can be spread evenly very easily.It takes a while to get absorbed in my skin but once absorbed gives a dewy finish. Initially it leaves a whitish cast which i did not like. After around 10mins it appears fine.I do use compact after this and set it. you can use the product as a base for your foundation too.It provides good protection both from UVA & UVB rays due to high SPF & PA+++. It has to be reapplied after 3-4hrs especially in high humid conditions like in kolkata.

 

what i like:

• good protection
• oil free but does not dry out skin
• nice consistency that is easy to apply
• can be used under foundation like a base
• travel friendly decent packaging
• mild fragrance
• free of parabens and preservatives
• no allergies and suitable for sensitive skin also

what i dislike:

• it is not sweat and water resistant,though it stays once absorbed but not suitable for activities like swimming
  
• takes a while to get absorbed
• leaves whitish cast initially 
• pricey if not on discount like i got

final verdict: I would definitely repurchase until i find something better. It is overall a very good product for regular use for Indian summers.

rating: 8.5/10

easy home recipe hair nourishment

 This is a recipe that i use once every week (usually every sunday) and it does help keep my hair healthy and nourished. It works as good as many spa products, loaded with chemicals that are available in the market.

You will need:

1 egg

2vit E Capsules ( Evion 400)

1 tablespoon curd

2teaspoonful honey

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or sweet almond oil

Mix all the above ingredients well and apply all over scalp and hair. You can increase or decrease the amount of each ingredient proportionally according to your hair length.

Keep for one hour, wash off, shampoo and condition normally.

grandma's secret hair oil

My mother always makes this hair oil. Will tell you even at 60 she still has knee length thick hair. SO THIS IS TIME TESTED AND DEFINITELY HAS NO ADVERSE EFFECTS. It is supposed to make your hair black, long and thick. This is my grandma’s recipe and really works well. You can make this once store for the whole year. Though a little tedious but it is worth the effort.

Hair oil recipe:

Coconut oil-250ml

Sesame oil- 200ml

Olive oil-100ml

Castor oil-50ml                                                                 

Mustard oil-50ml

To the above oil mixture add the following:

½ kg fresh grated amla

2 handfuls dried amla

20-25 red hibiscus flowers

2-3 bahera grounded

2-3 pieces powdered haritaki

2 handfuls curry leaves (washed and dried off water)

1 handful neem leaves (                       ,,                          )

2 bunch brahmi leaves (                         ,,                         )

Leave this whole mixture for 3 days in the sun. Keep stirring in between. After three days put the mixture in the gas on high flame and simmer when it comes to boil. Let it boil in simmer, till all water evaporates {water mainly from amla and fresh leaves}. Keep stirring in between and be careful that it does not spill over. Take a larger vessel to avoid spilling. Cool and sieve through a cloth. Leave it hanging overnight. Now add Almond oil about -50ml to this. Pour in clean sun-dried bottles.(TRACES OF WATER IN BOTTLES MAY RUIN THE OIL IN THE LONG RUN). Pour in a smaller bottle for regular use and larger bottle for storage.

You can warm the oil slightly before application or do a hot towel turban therapy after massaging the oil thoroughly.

my experience: all about hair care

I have really curly (tight curls), dry, frizzy hair and for a long time I did not even imagine I could tame my hair. The texture was rough and brittle. All and all it was very frustrating. So frustrating that I did not even try to keep my hair without oiling even for a single day.....even if there was a party i would go with oiled hair. Just imagine!!!!............!!!!

Now with so many products, so much of modern equipments and techniques to style, maintain and take care of hair, even unruly like mine has become easier. All we need to do is have a basic knowledge about the various products, equipments and techniques..........their indications, contraindications, advantages and disadvantages and the mode of action of these things. After going through various beauty and fashion blogs, websites, product reviews and technical specifications I decided on a hair care regimen which I am following and it has given me amazing results in just 5 months.

We all keep hearing and reading that getting a trimming done every 3 months is very important to avoid any split ends. I can tell you from experience it is always not true.........but a misconception...............a myth. 

True though is that if you have split ends they can’t be repaired (so be aware of products who advertise promising to repair split ends). You need to get it trimmed once you get split ends and then take care wisely to prevent further split ends. Hair grows around 2-3 inches in 5-6 months in an average normal healthy adult (except for a blessed few with good genes who have faster rate of growth). So if you keep trimming every 3 months you know the result for yourself. For all those lovely girls out there who wish for a rapunzeal length mane, mere trimming once in three months is not a solution. It’s just once get rid of them and take care properly to bid farewell to split ends forever and have a faster rate of growth of healthy hair.

1. ·         Oil your hair before every wash.
2. ·         Use a shampoo and conditioner  that suits your hair type
3. ·         Use a conditioner every time you wash your hair
4. ·         Air dry your hair as much as possible
5. ·         Use a wide toothed comb
6. ·         Be gentle while combing and brushing
7. ·         Use a detangling product instead of fighting with the tangles. Being harsh causes breakage and reduces the length and density of your hair.
8. ·         Avoid brushing too much on wet hair as wet hair is more prone for breakage
9. ·         Use a heat protectant serum/spray/cream before heat styling (blow drying, straightening iron, rollers, hot curlers)
10. ·         Do a deep conditioning treatment atleast once in 15 days (if possible once a week)
11. ·         Tie your hair into a plait and wrap with ribbon so that it does not rub(friction causes split ends) before going to sleep
12. ·         Keep your hair scrupulously clean, as dirt and pollution along with product build up is a major cause of hairfall
13. ·         If you have dandruff problem try to get rid of it