Saturday 15 March 2014

Happy Birthday to Me and 100 Posts on the Blog

It seems like I am getting very professional at creating milestones on special occasions. I created 50th post on 4th February this year which was the anniversary of my parents and now I am writing the 100th post on the blog on my birthday.




I feel so proud and happy today. From 4th of January I officially started working on this space. The journey has been superb till now. First quarter of 2014 has seen me writing each and every new thought that popped up into my mind, making new friends and thus my journey of being a blogger was superfantastic.



Well since its Holi today, I am not making any plans of going out. We will have a small celebration at home with loads of fun coming up.


Fiama Di Wills Shower Gel Mild Dew Review

I have almost finished this shower gel and thus its perfect time for me to review it. I loved their gel bathing bars and this one was high on expectation. Lets see how it fared.

Claims
Fiama Di Wills Shower Gel provides more power to your shower. Fiama Di Wills combines the goodness of nature and science. It gives your skin gentle and effective care.Fiama Di Wills Mild Dew contains soft beads and extracts of peach and avocado for a soft moisturized skin. Its gentle touch is like the caress of moisture rich dewdrops. Indulge yourself in its care as you shower. A divine smelling daub of Fiama Di Wills shower gels is all it takes to invigorate your senses.




Price
Rupees 99 for 200 ml

Ingredients
Aqua, Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate, Glycerine, PEG/PPG-8/3 Diisostearate, PEG – 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates Copolymer Cocoamidopropylbetaine, Decyl Glucoside, Perfume Triethanolamine, Tetra Sodium EDTA, Benzophenone – 4, CI 14700, CI 19140, DMDM Hydantoin, Lactose, Cellulose, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 77491. Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose, Pentaerythritol Tetrakis (3 – (3, 5-di- tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate), Natural extracts of Fruitapone, Natural extract of
Avocado.

Fragrance
A very refreshing fragrance but sadly it does not last even for 5 minutes.

Packaging
A nice peach coloured bottle. Easy to carry.

Texture
This shower gel is a bit runny in texture so one must need to be careful while using it. It has orange beeds also but I guess they are of no use.

Availablity
Available everywhere

My take.
I got a loofah also with this but I lost it. According to me it did not fare well. I was expecting a little bit of exfoliation and a lasting fragrance. This brand is known for its refreshing fragrance. This also made my skin a bit dry and strechy so dry skinned ladies must stay away from this. I think the handmade soaps give a better bathing experience to me.

I give it a 3 out of 5. But will not purchase this again.

Pamper your feet at home

Our feet are the most neglected parts of our body but they have to bear the weight of the whole body. We only understand how much our feet are tired when we lie on bed after a whole day of work.

Due to neglecting our feet most of us are not able to wear our favourite footwear. Here are some tips that will help your feet get some love from you.




1. Pamper your feet with just 10 minutes pedicure. Soak them in warm water which has some salt in it.this is the easiest way to give them some love.

2. Every night massage your toes with a foot cream. This will prevent you from getting cracked heels.

3. Use pumic stone as a scrubber for your feet. This is what I swear by. I use pumic stone every other day in my shower to remove dirt from my feet.

4. In mood of a luxurious feeling? Treat yourself with a milk soak by adding a cup of milk and rosewater in warm water. Follow it up by scrub and a moisturizer.



5. If your feet is tanned then give it a massage with baking powder mixed with lemon. This will surely keep tannin at bay.

6. I have used the warm water remedy- soak your feet in warm water at night, follow it up with a quick massage with vaseline and wear cotton socks and head over to bead. This has made my feet all the more beautiful.

7. If you have a moisturizer that is heavy for your face, use it for hands and feet.

8. Give them an oil massage once a week with coconut or almond oil.

9. Always wear comfortable footwear.

10. Dress your feet proudly with a shot of nailpaint. You will feel all the more confident.

Thought of the day

Be yourself, no matter what. Dont loose your originality because of others.

Always be yourself, have a specific goal in your life and live your dreams. Without a goal you are just sailing in the vague. Help others but first help yourself.

Friday 14 March 2014

Clean & Clear Skin Balancing Moisturizer Review

As I told you, I am not fond of experimenting with moisturizers. You know they break me out. But I needed a change in my skincare routine.
This was from a trusted skincare brands and many bloggers swear by ut so I had to pick this up. My only concern was that this would not leverage my ongoing pimple problem but thank god it did not do so.




Claims: The oil free formula moisturizes without greasiness and does not clog pores. Salicylic acid helps prevent pimples and blackheads. It leaves your skin feeling clean and beautifully clear.

Price
Rupees 50 for 50 ml. Fair enough.

Packaging
A good white tube with a blue flip cap. Nothing as such to complain about.

Texture
This moisturizer is of perfect texture. It does not gets overflowed from the tube. Its a white coloured lotion which is perfect to be used as a moisturizer.

Fragrance
This is almost of nil fragrance so it wont harm sensitive noses at all.

Availablity
It is easily available at all cosmetic shops and even in medicine shops also.

My take
It is a good moisturizer for oily skinned beauties. It will certainly not break you out. It feels light on my skin and gets absorbed very easily. If you are looking for an affordable moisturizer, look no furthur.

Holi skincare tips

I am not at all a Holi person. I stay away from those harmful colours. I never understood the logic behind putting those colours for 3 hours on your skin and then struggle for another 6 hours in removing them. Phew. But I am not against this festival. I like decorating the home and preparing sweets. I even like playing kesar-chandan holi.

I dont play with those harmful colours but this day I get prepared at my best. You dont know what may happen next.
If you love playing with colours here are some skincare tips for you.




1. You need to be friendly with oils at your home. I lather myself up on almond oil this day.
2. Cut your nails short and apply a thick coat of nailcolour to prevent staining.
3. Wear full sleeved clothes so that you dont have to struggle in taking out the colour.
4. Put a thick coat of lip balm on your lips because lips are most sensitive to colours.



5. After playing holi get yourself a spa cleanup so that your body does not loose its moisture. You can also pamper yourself at home with warm water, bath salts and other ingredients.

6. Another good idea is to give yourself a facial to retain the charm of the skin. You know after holi the face starts to loosevits glow.

7. Dont wear lenses or specs. Make your body free from every kind of accessory.

8. Drink water and keep yourself hydrated.

9. Loathe yourself in sunscreen because sun can cause additional damage to your skin.

10. As far as possible, play dry holi. Dont use water colours. They are more harmful.

My Current CTM Routine

Off late I have been getting some pimples on my face. I dont know the reason behind it. I have following the same routine for about 2 months and thus I guess my face was shouting for some change.

Since I have oily sensitive skin I need to be extra careful with my facewash and moisturizer. You know facewash makes it dry and the other one breaks me out. I was kinda happy with my Patanjali almond oil but then I decided to try something new. I brought Clean And Clear oil free moisturizer.

Here is my current CTM routine



1. Facewash- Patanjali Neem-Tulsi facewash. This is the only Patanjali product that I am using right now. I must say it has taken care of my pimples very well. Must try this facewash if you have pimples. It is way better then Himalaya Neem facewash.

2. Toner- Usually I am a rosewater toner person but this time I became a little more daring and changed my toner as well. Currently I am using Naturepro toner. This does not dries out the face. I have seen the size of my pores getting reduced.

3. Moisturizer- clean and clear oil free moisturizer is perfectly suiting me right now. No complaints from this.

4. Sunscreen-I am using Lotus herbals sunblock. This has become my HG sunscreen right now.

5. Scrub- CTM routine must have a scrub. I am using Oriflame pure active scrub. Loving it.

I am following this routine for past 2 weeks. My pimples have gone I my skin is behaving great. You need to change your products to see a difference.

Bye.

Currently hooked into

After a very long time I am doing thus post. I have started getting more organised by writing the blog stuffs in my diary. It keeps me well informed of the posts that I need to do and what all I need to write. I have also started writing my thoughts in the diary.

Here goes my currently loving list.




1. I have started reading 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari' by Robin Sharma. I am not able to get my eyes off from this book. Now I know the reason why people praise Robin's books so much. You need to read it to understand the true meaning of life. You will feel proud of your culture and the history of India. It talks about the ancient practices that are still applicable to the modern world which would help us become a happy soul from within.

2. This silver ankelet is gifted to me by one of my aunty. I like the simplicity of the ankelet and the

chan-chan sound it makes while walking. You know what when I was little kid, I was very fond of trinklets which made that sound, I had many pairs of anklets with loads of ghungrus. My mom still has those small cutie jinglings. Maybe she is planning to gift it to my daughters. Lol.

3. These Insight nailcolours.
Packaging-check
Colours-check
Staying power-check
Finish-check
Price-check
One is an orangey red shade, then a coral pink with a hint of red and finally a soft pink shade. I give them a 5 out of 5.

4. I brought these cute star shaped clutches during my last shopping. I am wearing them almost everyday. They are supercute to resist.

Whats your currently loving list?

Patanjali rosewater review

This is my 5th bottle of Patanjali rosewater. I am not able to get enough of it. You must try it to know how useful it is. Rupees 25 for a 120ml bottle is just awesome.
This is how I use my rosewater
1. I use it as an everyday toner
2. I use it in facepacks, bodypacks, hairpack.
3. Sometimes I use it as a mild cleanser.
4. Whenever my mummy makes rose sharbat at home, she uses this rosewater.
5. I add a few drops of it in my bathwater.
6. I use it on my lips.
7. I use it in my mani-pedi sessions
8. Sometimes I mix it with other ingredients and make a new toner out of it.
9. I use it as a makeup fixer.
10. Also used as an eyedrop.

I can never part with this rosewater. My CTM routine is incomplete without it. Its the purest form of rosewater and I have transferred it to a spray bottle for a better use. I wish it came in a spray bottle but considering the price I am cool with this packaging. It is even to when compared to Dabur gulabari.

You must buy it.

Book Review- Who Will Cry when You Die

I am into Robin Sharma mode right now. I mean he is having a profound impact in my life. I ordered this book from Flipkart and on the second day of reading the book, I ordered another book 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.'

OMG, he is splendid. This book offers some very simple solutions to the most complicated problems of life. I means these are as simple as carrying a motivational book with you or having a glass of juice daily or walking at the park.

I must say this book can bring change to your life. I have started bringing changes to my life and within a few day the results have also crept in. You know its all about living simple and living high.

I only wish if he would have added some humour to his writing which would have made it even more interesting.

Thursday 13 March 2014

Thought of the day

This time I am picking up a thought from the book 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari'
Here it goes,


Sure I am that this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strengths; that its pangs and toils are not beyond my endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us

-Winston Churchill

Patanjali Neem-Tulsi Facewash Review

I was kinda bored of my previous Patanjali orange-aloevera facewash. It seems that I was using it for months and thus my facewash needed a change. So, I picked up this one just for a change.

Claims
Neem-Tulsi face wash is a soap-free herbal formulation. Its gentle cleansing action controls moisture and natural balance of skin. Neem& Tulsi kills germs, while Honey & Aloe moisturize and rejuvenate the skin tissues, to make complexion fresh, smooth and beautiful. It also helps to prevent pimples. The soap-free formula, enriched with Neem Leaf Extract, Tulsi and Honey, helps prevent pimples through 3 purifying actions:
1. Fights Bacteria: washes away problems causing bacteria to prevent pimples.
2. Fights Pollution: deep cleanses pores to remove impurities caused by pollution.
3. Removes Oil: it washes away excess oil which can attract dirt germs and bacteria.

Price
Rupees 45 for 60 gm.

Availablity
At patanjali stores

Fragrance
Almost a nil fragrance


Packaging
Its a normal tube packaging with a flip cap. Good for a face wash.

Texture
Its a light green gel facewash. A perfect texture.





My take
Well I have nothing much to say about this facewash. This is a normal facewash which can be given a try if you have pimples. It did not dry out my face and made it a little brighter. It reduced my 2 mmini pimples on face and made it radiant. As usual this brand makes awesome products so this is no exception.

I give it a 4 out of 5. I may go for it again.

Naturepro herbal toner review

This was again a new brand which I attacked. When I searced it on internet I found that Naturoma and Naturepro are same brands. Thus, I went ahead with this. I have told my story of this toner. It was suggested by 3 SAs in 3 different shops. Thus I picked it up from the last shop.

Price
Rupees 75 for a 100 ml bottle which is great.



Claims
This skin tonic is claimed to have natural extracts of cabbage, cucumber and mint. It has got rosewater as its base. The company claims that it can also be used as a cleanser as it removes all the impurities from the face.

Packaging
Its a simple packaging with a flip cap which is a bit tight for my long nails. I wish it was a spray bottle. But then it can be carried easily. The toner is of red colour. Overall no complaints with the packaging.



Availablity
I guess its available at Naturoma counters of local stores as well.



My take
What made me like this toner is the cooling effect it gives. On the fragrance part this toner fails because I was expecting a better smell of roses. Not that it smells bad, but it could have been better. 100ml quantity is just great, it has also reduced the appearance of my pores and does not make my skin dry. I have tried this as a makeup remover and it works as a cleanser also. Overall I am happy but I just wanted the ingredient list.
Will give it a 4 out of 5. Will always go for it unless I find a better toner.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Aromaz strawberry lip balm review

I wanted a good lip balm which would repair my chapped lips and also which is non-tinted. I have tried their lip balms which are pretty good for the price.
Lets have a look.




Claims
Enriched with Shea Butter and natural vitamin E to keep your lips moisturized and hydrated. Prevents drying, chapping and cracking of lips and keeps them soft and supple.

Ingredients
Petroleum jelly,bees wax, paraffin wax, lanolin, shea butter, vitamin E oil.

Price
Rupees 30

Other flavours include chocolate, spf-10, cranberry, mint.



Availablity
If you visit those local shops, you will find this lip balm

Packaging
Its a normal red coloured tube which is easy to carry and use.

My take
If you have tried the Himalaya lip balm or the Emami lip balms in tube packaging you would know what I am talking about. I have tried its mint flavour and I liked it, thus I went ahead with strawberry one. You know it has the exact strawberry smell which I wanted, not the artificial ones. But the smell fades away in five minutes. It gives a glossy effects to lips and stays there for around an hour. The special thing is that my lips were a bit chapped and this lip balm cured them effectively.


So many good ingredients at this price point is a good thing about this lip balm. I wish both the balm and its smell stayed longer but this would be too much at this price.
Will definately go for this again. See I told you, even lesser known brands can also have good products. I give it a 3 out of 5.

If you want a good lip balm for night use, give it a try.

Skincare and Makeup Haul

This time it not a Patanjali haul nor this has any Patanjali product in it. I love trying new brands and their products. If there is ingredient list on the product and its of good quality I dont mind buying it. I feel every brand should be given a try atleat once. Afterall we all love good things. I know many of you may not agree to this but this is just my point of view. This haul is basically a mix of nessecity and interests. It is not from one shop but from 5 different shops.
Lets go.



I was hunting good nailcolour shades in reds and pinks. I could not resist myself with such beautiful colours and I brought 3 shades at a go. This is from the brand Insight. They are priced at Rupees 30 each. 2 coats of the colour gives a great finish and superb colour. I am drooled.



I guess everyone of you must have heard of Soumi Gupta products. She has a line of awesome hairpacks and facepacks. This is my second bottle of Soumi Gupta's hairpack. Plus I brought a shampoo for oily scalp just for a trial.



Then there is a Camieo eyeliner and a strawberry lip balm from Aromaz. I have tried Aromaz lip balms before, they are excatly same as Himalaya lip balms with fun flavours.
This eyeliner was captivating to me as it was waterproof anfd also of its easy application.



Then I picked up a Naturepro toner. I have not tried this brand before but strange thing I found about this toner was that it was suggested by 3 SAs in 3 shops. Yes you heard it right. So finally I picked it up from the third shop.
Then there is a razor from Gillette Satincare. You know for emergencies. Then a lipstick from ADS. I loved its colour and glossy packaging.



Finally I picked up a VOV kajal. Its a retracable pencil with a smooth finish. And a blush from Baxi.
Both Baxi and VOV are prepared by same company.



Detailed reviews will be coming soon. I have not tried all products. Reviews will surely turn up as and when I try.

Thank you.

Manish Malhotra opens Lakme Fashion Week 2014

Okay this post is a bit diverting topic but it would have been unfair to the blog without putting up a post on LFW 2014 being held at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

Well I love Manish Malhotra. I admire his great style and designs. I followed Lakme India on twitter to get updates about the show. You can follow them at @ilovelakme.

Needless to say this time also he rocked with his work. Ah, those breathtaking white and black lehengas. I dream to own a dress from his colloection.

Oh btw, look at Sonakshi Sinha, she has turned so slim. She looks fab. I am waiting for Kareena to walk on ramp for Manish.

Here are the pics.









Disclaimer
None of the pics are owned by me.

Monday 10 March 2014

Patanjali Multani Mitti Soap review

If you have gone through this blog you would know how much I love Patanjali soaps.
This time its a new soap which has became a part of my current skincare routine. What is so much to rave about this soap?
Read furthur.

This soap has been a different experience for me. Its not like regular soaps we use. It does not contain multani mitti but it made up purely of multani mitti along with other ingredients. Yes, you can feel multani mitti on your hands when you use it.



Price
Rupees 35 for a 75 gm soap. Fab!!

Ingredients
Sudha Suhaga, Pudhina Sat, Kapoor Sat, Ajwain Sat, Haldi, Swet Chandan, Brahmi, Aloe vera, Neem, Manjisth, Tulsi, Jatamansi, Bringraj licorice, Reetha, Nagamotha, Plas Base material: Natural oil base, multani mitti, zinc oxide and mint-mogra perfume.




Availablity
At patanjali outlets.

My take
This soap is AWESOME. Let me put it in points.
1. It did not dry out my skin
2. Summers are already there in kolkata and it has a minty feeling which I love.
3. It has gritty particles which provide mild exfoliation.
4. Made my skin super soft.
5. A herbal soap from a trusted brand.
6. Great packaging.
7. You can actually feel the mitti on your hands.
8. Goodness of all great things.

My only complain about this soap is that it does not last longer. But then again its a herbal soap so no issues.




Everyone must try this soap. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Saturday 8 March 2014

Happy International Women's Day

Finally I am writing here. I apologize for not updating this blog. I know I am too late for this post but still I want to add my words on this day. My life facing big turnarounds at this stage. Being a final year student I need to make decisions about my job and my future. You know this decision making thing is never so easy, we women just cant take quick decisions. When I started this blog, many of my friends told me that you must hunt for a good job rather than wasting time on your blog. I dont blame them as blogging is something which is new to people around me. But still I went ahead with it. This was something I really wanted to do.

We girls attend so many women empowerment programs in our lives. These programs talk about giving equal rights to women but at the same time they demand more reservation in buses and trains. Is that what we women really want?
Its the mindset that needs a change.

A women should start living for herself so that she is honoured in the society. She must posess an analising power of what is good for her. Wish you all have a great life and all the success because we are special in our own way.


Happy women's week

Saturday 1 March 2014

Lakme eyebrow pencil review

My eyebrows are perfectly shaped and just require regular monthly trimming. But I was getting dandruff and was loosing by brow hairs so I went ahead and brought this brow pencil from lakme. By the way, this is my first brow pencil.


Packaging
It is a small pencil which is pefect to fill up my brows.

Ingredients
Missing

Price
Rupees 40

My take
Well there is not much to say about this pencil because ultimately it is just a pencil.

It filled my eyebrows perfectly, with light hands anyone can fill up their brows. Also the colour is light brown and thus makes the colour looks more real. I dont have any issues with this pencil except the face that it does not mention ingredients. Overall it performs its job effectively.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

Makeup storage ideas and tips

We girls love to buy and use loads and loads of makeup and skincare products but most of us fail to store them correctly. After a couple of days my wardrobe also shouts for an arrangement. I dont love to see my messy drawers and boxes but at the same time I am the last person to arrange them.

Today was the day for my wardrobe, I organised my makeup items in cute boxes and finally after so many days the whole wardrobe looked clean and well placed. I hope it stays like this forever.

Let me share some makeup storage ideas with you. I had these set of three red boxes with me of different sizes, thus I used them to store my lip products, hair accessories,and earrings in each of the three boxes respectively.
Have a look



I have stored my nailpaints in a huge round box, which is not only cute to look at but also stores all my nailpaints




I have kept my daily essentials in a heart shaped basket which came with sweets.




Okay heres summing up all the pics of my makeup. I hope you find it useful with regard to your confusion on how to store makeup. All I can say is just look around you and you will find some interesting ideas to store your makeup.