Biotique Bio Flame of the Forest Fresh Shine Expertise Oil {Product Review}

Price: Rs 159 for 120ml

Ingredients

Pros

leaves hair soft and shiny

smells pleasant

gets washed off easily

My Experience

I have been meaning to try this oil since a long time and you might have seen this oil being mentioned in the hair diaries. I finally managed to finish the oil after using it on and off for a long time. The first thing to notice about the oil is its fragrance which is really pleasant.

The base oil is groundnut oil which is thick but even then, it gets washed off easily and leaves the hair really soft and adds a bit of shine as well. It did not give me any hair fall and whether it helps with hair fall or not is something which I don't know because I did not have hair fall at any time I was using this product specifically. 

Missing the cons? Well, I am not able to think any!! One more piece of information - "Flame of the Forest". It is a flower called "Palash" in hindi. It is supposedly amazing for dandruff and hair loss. The name of this flower is the only reason I got attracted to the product :) Have you tried it?

Other products I love or hate from Biotique:

Biotique Bio Almond & Cashew Fresh Repleneshing Hair Serum
Biotique Bio Honey Gel
Biotique Basil and Parsley Cleanser

Biotique Watercress Fresh Nourishing Conditioner

Biotique Bio Henna fresh Powder Hair Color

Biotique Mountain Ebony Fresh Growth Stimuating Serum

Biotique Carrot Protective Lotion

Biotique Avocado Body Massage Oil

Biotique Basil and Red Sandalwood Powder Talc

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo

Biotique Bio Pistachio Ageless Nourishing and Revitalizing Face Pack

Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask

Winter Skin Care Lotions

Products which helped my hair {Hair Care}

I wanted to do this post long back after the one on home remedies for hair growth but somehow forgot. I would definitely recommend all the products I list down under here:

• Biotique Musk Root: helped combat my hair fall last year in January and really nourished my hair. You can read the entire review here. 

• Lush Caca Noir: Well, technically, this is just a hair coloring agent and nothing else. But, it improved my hair texture and made it so soft and shiny. I love it and I wanna lay my hands asap on Caca Maroon. It wasn't a first love and my first review was almost that all money spent on it went into drain. But, the second review which I did after using the noir again after a spell of 3 months almost was what made me a fan of this product. Read about the Caca Noir here.

• Biotique Mountain Ebony: This is one of the really un-talked product of Biotique but I love it to bits and it wasn't an instant love either. I took my own sweet time to analyze it and use it and decide on it. I bought it in December 2010 and used it sometimes and left it. Later, again started using it after a spell of almost 6 months and used it daily in fact. Read about it here. 

Update

• Rogan Badam Shirin: I really forgot to put about it. Padmaja asked me about hair oils and this is my one go to hair oil and the best ever which has actually shown me results on a long term basis. Read about it here. 

All the products mentioned above are tried and tested on a long term. I shall keep on adding if I find something equally good in the subsequent future :)

My Hair Dairies - April 2012

What I did in April? 

• Regarding the use of Rosemary EO for three months since January, I have not really got any evidence but I do believe that it has really helped my hair texture and probably helped in hair growth too. 
• I did add ginger and cinnamon EO to my hair oil this month.But, had to discontinue using it since I started on with a treatment.
• I gave myself a hair cut to get rid of the split ends. I did cut off a good amount of length and my hair is again back to the shoulder level :( but, then, I had to get rid of splits too. 
• Went on a hair treatment which I mentioned couple of days back. 

Products Used

• Shampoo - Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo + Kamini's Keshika Herbal Shampoo
• Treatment - Kamini's Keshika Herbal Hair Tonic
• Conditioner - Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment + L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Hair Masque + Kamini's Keshika Milk Tonic
• Hair Oil - Biotique Flame of the Forest + Kamini's Keshika Herbal Hair Oil
• Hair Mask - Egg + Kamini's Keshika Multi-Herb Mix

Second Week Results of the Hair Treatment

• Hair definitely seems to be more shiny. 
• In fact, the hair coloring job which I wasn't pretty satisfied with, is showing well now. Though, I am definitely not loving the color :( I really want to use Lush Caca Maroon!!! I have a gut feeling I will soon do that :D

Related Posts:
My Hair Diaries - March 2012 
My Hair Diaries - February 2012 
My Hair Diaries - January 2012

Moisturizer for dry skin? {Reader's Query}

Since I hardly stick to any moisturiser in the long run and till date, I have liked only three moisturisers long enough to consider re-buying, I would definitely need all the help from you. So, the lady asks me:

"I am 28years and I discovered some few wrinkles coming up. I take care of my skin and body as much as I can. I always do home remedies and I also use chemical brands. I have recently used bodyshop vitamin E moisturisers, cleanser, undereye cream but I didn't notice any good improvement. So Now it has been a week that I am looking for a anti wrinkles cream...I still dont want to apply anti aging stuff but I am really confused which brand to use and which is good for skin. You know how many brands are there in the markets but hardly you can find something that suits the skin. I am writing to ask you if you know any brank that will serve this purpose. and also any good moisturizer, sunscreen and cleanser."

Regarding the moisturisers, I advised her for Aloevera Gel from Rustic Art and Biotique Wheatgerm Cream which I had used in these winters and I would be posting the review in these winters but just for the record, its really good and I would recommend it to anyone. In fact, I am also considering other creams from Biotique but they are heavy and best used in winters unless you have dry skin. Also, I did like Liz Earle moisturiser but its pretty expensive when you include the shipping costs. I also advised the lady for cleansers from Lush. She is already using one from Lush. So, hoping to get more suggestions from you all :)

Also, the lady needs reviews and thoughts on the following 3 products:

• Kiehls - Ultra Moisturizing Eye Stick SPF 30
• MAC - Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream
• Prevage Eye Eye Ultra Protection Anti-aging Moisturizer SPF 15

So, what are your suggestions, ladies :)

Image Courtesy: truegirlonline.com

How to start caring for your hair? {Hair Care}

[Source:happynews.com]

Ok, weird title!!! I know. Actually, what happened was that I had ignored my hair for too long and got horrible case of split ends because of which I was so angry that I chopped off a good length of my hair and now, my hair is back to the shoulder level. Now, I am trying to improve my hair health and grow them out.

So, I thought I would revisit the basics. So, in one way, you can say that this post is for my benefit instead of yours :P I shall try to include as many things as possible in this. And, I do get a lot of queries regarding hair care and hair loss so guess, next time, I can simply point to this link :D Ok, let's get started.

Moisturise the hair regularly

As I talked about in my hair diaries, I got cocoa butter for myself last month. I wanted to use it to as a hair mask because last year, the Lush Caca Noir really softened my hair a lot. And, I'm making it a point to not skip on the conditioner ever. 

Get a good hydrating conditioner as well which doesn't weigh the hair down. Ok, I can't recommend anything because I am on the search still but I remember that Biotique Watercress did very well for me so I might just get that.

Weekly hair conditioning is very important but don't forget to do the lighter conditioning every time you wash your hair.

Use good comb

I can't stress this enough coz I know how much the condition of my hair has improved since I switched to the TBS Wooden Comb. It really keeps my hair happy. Or, get any wide-toothed comb for yourself.

Scalp Care

Yes, very important. Try to massage the scalp everyday. That helps with hair growth and is relaxing as well. Also, if you feel your hair is not behaving, I would suggest to go for a hair wash immediately. Don't forget to get a gentle shampoo as it will keep your scalp in a good condition. 

Use satin pillow covers

The cotton ones suck all the moisture from hair and also increase the static in your hair so get the satin pillow covers or silk is even better!!! Make sure that you change the pillow covers regularly too to keep away the bacteria and the oils on the pillow cover from the face.

Oil lightly before washing

Even if you are not big on oiling your hair and I can understand that in summers but it helps a lot. So, to make a compromise, try coating your hair lightly with oil just half hour  to an hour before washing your hair. That really helps. 

These are some of the tips I am following regularly. And, next time, I shall talk about few remedies which were helpful in my hair growth.

My Hair Diary - March 2012

What did I do in March?

• I have been using Rosemary EO since two months. As to how much its working, I am still unsure but I do definitely think its helping but as I said earlier, its too soon to say anything definite. 
• And, as I promised in my last post, I did research on the essential oils to stimulate hair growth so some of the essential oils I have added to the stack are: Ginger, Cinnamon, Cedarwood, Lavender and Patchouli. 
• Also, I got cocoa butter for myself because I wanted to use it as a hair mask to soften my hair and keep it moisturised as a weekly treatment. 
• So, I made myself a DIY mask adding hair oil to the cocoa butter but its been two times I have used, the mask so I am not sure how well it is working. So, when I spend a little more time using this mask, I shall post its recipe too :)
• Also, I would add a word about both the oils I am using - Biotique and Kama. They are both amazing and really good. I shall publish the reviews after I finish with the product but this is just a word on them.
• And, my split ends have grown to huge extent so I gave myself a hair cut in March and again, I shall do it today. Yes, I can trim my hair on my own :) It saves a lot of money and hair length too :O

Products used in March

• Shampoo - Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo 
• Conditioner + Leave-in Treatment - Sunsilk Dual Treatment Shots
• Hair Oil - Biotique Flame of the Forest + Kama Ayurveda Brigandi
• Combs - The Body Shop Detangling Comb

Related Posts:

My Hair Diaries - February 2012

My Hair Diaries - January 2012

How to remove tanning on arms? {Skin Care}

[Source:writinginspiration.tumblr.com]

Tanning on my arms has been a long standing issue. And, last week, when someone requested me remedies for the same, I thought I would better do a post. Disclaimer: I wouldn't say that I am entirely rid of the tan but I have surely made some progress in the recent years and now, my hands looks a little better than what they did 5-6 years back. 

All of my issues started with the college whether hair or skin. In the school, everything was covered upto the neck and the arms were entirely shrouded in full sleeves and even my socks used to reach the knees and my skirt used to end just above so my knees were definitely one of the most hit parts of my body. But, since, I have been covering my legs ever since, my knees and the surrounding areas have lost all the tan and returned to their normal shade again. 

But, now, the issue remains with my arms and neck. My face is still doing a lot better. So, how to save the arms?

• Elbow-length Gloves: Yes, those which are used for driving. I had started to wear them pretty regularly a year or two back and had noticed my arms coloring had improved quite a lot. But, I shall also accept that they are uncomfortable and cumbersome but then, we do wear scarves all over the face, right??? 

• Sunscreen: Oh yes, absolute must. Arms get tanned very easily and we generally tend to miss them out while applying the sunscreen. But, applying sunscreen on the arms do make a huge deal of difference. I have tried Biotique ones and have received great results and they are economical too. And, right now, I am using Neutrogena Ultra sheer which is equally good but definitely not so economical for me. 

So, those were my two pennies on how I protect my arms and seriously, I have never done anything more for my arms or any other part of my body except face and probably neck (which shall be another post!!). 

Biotique Bio Almond & Cashew Fresh Repleneshing Hair Serum {Product Review}

I have not been online for quite a number of days so if you have sent me mails, please give me sometime. My lappie crashed, then windows didn't recover, so shifted to ubuntu and now, the touchpad is being erratic so it's an ongoing schedule of laptop disasters!!! But, I am hoping to be back soon and I have a huge backlog of product reviews which I have committed to. So, this was requested by Divine Blush. Hope you find it satisfactory :) I had long since wanted a leave-in hair serum which doesn't have silicones and keeps my hair healthy. So, I got this the first time I laid my eyes on it.

Price: Rs 159 for 35ml

Ingredients

I don't know if you can read it properly but I, sure as hell, can't. So, here's the list: Nariyal Jal (3%), Dudhal (3.5%), Manjishta (2.1%), Cotus Bergamia [wrong spelling, couldn't read] (0.5%), Kaju (0.5%), Badam Tail (2%), Himalayan Water Q.S

Pros

- Ingredient List is very impressive

- It keeps the hair soft

Cons

- It doesn't really do anything on its own unless you lock it in the hair (I am guessing this!!!)

My Experience

I am actually a bit confused about the serum even now after using the entire bottle. So, I shall first talk about its texture. Let me say this that I love the ingredients and the texture of the product is like a thick gel but it is not at all sticky on the hair. It spreads easily through the hair and keeps the hair really soft.

And, here is where my problem began. Once, it wasn't able to control the frizz in my hair. Then, next time, it kept my hair really beautiful and soft and manageable. Then, again, it made my hair a bit greasy as I applied a bit more (or, it might have been the oil or hair not being washed properly, I am not really sure).

Since I was so confused about the product, I experimented a lot with it. I have applied this serum and followed with a drop or two of oil to lock in the moisture or followed it with a single pump of Dove Nourishing Care serum. Both times, I would say that it kept my hair really beautiful, shinier and moisturized.And, the best part was that my hair was hydrated for a longer time.

The reason for good hydration, as I think, is the ingredient list. It is full of water so locking it with oil or a moisture-locking serum works wonders for the hydration levels of the hair and that's why, this product works. It doesn't weigh the hair down but a little trial and error is required to make out how much of the product is required for the hair.

Have you used this serum?

StyleCraze.com Website Review {Online Shopping}

Home Page which lists almost everything one would need to know 

This is another of the websites but what makes it special? Check out the review. 

Navigation

As you can see, various categories of products are listed

Product Information with suggestions along side

Its simple and easy.

Brands

Brands are listed on the left side. More brands are being added as the site grows.

Checkout and Payment

My Shopping Cart

Provides COD option and free shipping above Rs 250. They also accept credit and debit cards, cheque and demand drafts and net-banking option is also available.

Order Confirmation Message

The site also remembers your order details and helps you track it online which is pretty useful!!!

e-mail confirmation and they had called to confirm the order too!!!

Order Delivery

So, everything done, when and how did I get my products? Well, the website promises 3 days shipping but mine wasn't delivered in 3 days because of the Vega brush I had ordered. Its a fragile item so they decided to deliver it personally which took 2 days more. But, that did not really bother me. Personal service is always welcome. But, otherwise, the service is pretty quick.

That's how my order came - nicely packed!!!

that's the Vega bath brush!!!

that's the rest of my order and with this packaging you can't really expect anything to happen to your order and btw, I have oil also as one of the items but nothing happened to it.

that's the order when opened with thermocols and bubble sheets wrapping the products and the invoice is also there

that's my order and I got a goodie too - the small Jovees sample of its anti-pigmentation blemish cream

I am overall super-excited with the site and hope to see some awesome brands online easily accessible!!!

PS: I was provided discount voucher from the website for the review.

Also Read:

VioletBag.com Website Review

My weekly hair routine {Hair Care}

[Source: Google Images]

I have been trying to take care of my hair since quite long and have been trying to keep a sustaining routine. This is what I do weekly.

• Since my hair is curly and dry, I wash my hair only twice a week unless I go out somewhere in the dirt and pollution and specially in the day time or afternoon. Generally, I do not go out so my limit of shampooing twice weekly. Remember my article on how often should you shampoo hair?

My Weekday's Routine

• On the weekdays, when I wash my hair, I oil my hair and try to give it a hot oil treatment. At the very least, I try to cover my hair with shower cap and cover with a scarf for extra heating.
• If not so elaborately, I do heat the oil and then apply it on the scalp and generally massage my scalp for 15-20 minutes while watching something on the television. 
• Then, I leave the oil overnight and wash my hair next day. 
• I do try to massage my scalp every night but I am not so very regular with it.
• And, I give my hair a trim once in every two months. I do it on my own generally to avoid spending so much of money!!! But, twice in a year, I do prefer to go to a salon for a good hair cut. That reminds me of my next hair cut :)

Washing and Conditioning

• I use a dollop of shampoo and mix it with a fist full of water and dilute it.
• I wet my hair thoroughly with water and then, apply the diluted shampoo to my scalp and massage the scalp for sometime.
• Then, wash it off an follow with the shampoo second time if I have oiled my hair otherwise once is enough.
• After washing my hair, I squeeze the extra water from the hair and then, I apply a good amount of conditioner on damp hair and keep it on for 3-5 minutes minimum.
• After that, I wash my hair thoroughly, obviously, and remove all traces of the conditioner.
• I generally air-dry my hair. I use the towel to squeeze out all the water from my hair and gently wrap it in the towel for sometime to catch all the dripping water. This is something I do in the winters where as in summers, I leave my hair as it is. 
• I use a cotton towel instead of a turkey towel as the turkey towel is more fluffy and can cause the hair to dry out more than the cotton towel. And, I use a separate towel for my hair - the cotton ones which are extremely thin. 
• Anyways, after that I run a drop or two of the hair serum through the damp hair and since my hair is curly, I prefer to detangle my hair when it is 80-90% dry instead of letting it dry completely. The dampness helps the hair to detangle easily as compared to completely dry hair.

My Weekend's Routine 

• I do try to do a weekly deep conditioning treatment as my hair is dry, curly and thin and they get rough and dull very easily so I have to take care of them pretty regularly.  
• In the summers, I prefer to use home remedies like eggs and curd and such things but in winters, I am using the hair masks. 
• But, I do not apply the hair masks on the scalp so I use the aloevera gel for my scalp. And, I keep the conditioning treatment for an hour minimum and wash off my hair. 

So, this is my weekly hair care routine. Nothing elaborate but it helps keep my hair soft, shiny and manageable and routine hair cuts ensure no splits. 

Products I am currently using for hair:

• The Body Shop Detangling Comb
• Rogan Badam Shirin Almond Oil
• Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range
• Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo and Conditioner
• Neutrogena Deep Clean Conditioner
• Biotique Bio Almond and Cashew Fresh Replenishing Serum

Biotique Bio Honey Gel {Product Review}

In my quest for a natural or herbal face wash, this was one of my tries. So, lets see how it went?

Price: Rs 149 for 120ml

Ingredients

My Experience

The USP of this product for me was the absence of SLS. The cleanser is pink in color as you can see and has an artificial fragrance. The consistency of the product is like a gel - neither too runny nor too thick. Now, how it cleanses? I have noticed that it cleanses the face very well and keeps the skin really soft. It doesn't cause your skin to dry out but you do need moisturizer afterwards. The major advantage is that it does help keep the blackheads at bay.

Now, a major disadvantage of the product is that it leaves a film behind and the skin feels slippery when you are trying to wash off the face wash which takes a lot of time to get rid of and wastes a lot of water too. Warm water does a better job at washing off the face wash. Otherwise, it is a really good product.

Now, I do not think I noticed any lightening of the complexion so nothing on those grounds. And, it doesn't leak while traveling even though it has a wide mouth but it does make more quantity come out of the bottle which is very irritating.

My Recommendation

If you do not mind the slippery feeling, it is definitely a must try!!!

Also read other reviews from the same brand:

Biotique Basil and Parsley Cleanser

Biotique Watercress Fresh Nourishing Conditioner

Biotique Bio Henna fresh Powder Hair Color

Biotique Mountain Ebony Fresh Growth Stimuating Serum

Biotique Carrot Protective Lotion

Biotique Avocado Body Massage Oil

Biotique Basil and Red Sandalwood Powder Talc

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo

Biotique Bio Pistachio Ageless Nourishing and Revitalizing Face Pack

Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask

Winter Skin Care Lotions

Biotique Basil and Parsley Cleanser {Product Review}

Biotique soaps have always been intriguing for me and I have heard that the almond oil is amazing so I shall definitely check that out. Lets check out how this soap does in the mean time.Since I got these soaps during hotel stays, I have no idea about the price.

Ingredients 

even I couldn't read the ingredient list clearly :D

My Experience

This is a transparent soap and I wasn't much of the hope that I would like it coz, generally, such soaps are really drying. But, I was wrong. This soap is gentle, mild, cleanses really well and doesn't dry out the skin even in the drier weather of October. It smells nice and nothing overbearing and lathers well enough. And, I don't think I have anything negative to say about the product.

My Recommendation

I would definitely recommend it. Its a good soap.

Biotique Watercress Fresh Nourishing Conditioner {Product Review}

Well, I am really two-minded about Biotique products but to be fair, many of the products do work for me and so did this one also. I found this to be one of the really good conditioners I have ever used. 

Price: Rs 159 for 120ml

Ingredients

Earlier, the product was called water salad which was I think a more appropriate name for the product. As you can see from the ingredients, it has lots of vegetables - ananas (pineapple), carrots, cucumber, lemon, pudina, tomato. And, now to more obscure ingredients, Ghrit Kumari is aloe vera, Jav is Barley Water, Pyrus Cydonia is Quince Seed Extract, Ankurit Gehun is germinated wheat or wheatgerm oil and the base is of course water. No watercress :O

Packaging

Same as other Biotique products and the bottle has a very wide mouth because of which you will always get more of product than you intend. 

My Experience

Well, the conditioner is extremely watery and looks almost like aloevera gel mixed with a little water. Its green in color too. It definitely takes some getting used to because of its watery texture and is a bit runny to apply. But, I liked how it kept my hair soft and gave a bit of shine to it. And, the best part of this conditioner is that it doesn't weigh the hair down any time. And, didn't cause my hair to turn greasy or limp the next day or anything. And, also, I didn't feel as if created a residue on my hair or anything of the like. So, overall, it was a good experience. 

Yes, the product does wish me to desire a lot. For example, it has no watercress mentioned in the ingredient list which is really bad. That's misleading. And, the packaging also needs to be user-friendly so that there is no product wastage or spillage. Its, after all, not very cheap. 

My Recommendation

I would definitely say that it is a good conditioner and I would recommend it. Even if there is no transparency about the ingredient list, I can say that the product has no silicones which is a plus!!! 

VioletBag.com Website Review {Online Shopping}

Online shopping is gaining popularity steadily as they are bringing in the brands not easily available and products we don't get to see anywhere. Whether online shopping is a fulfilling experience for a shopaholic can be a debated topic but it does provide many many advantages. And, one of the new websites on the block is violetbag.com. So, here goes my experience with the website.

Navigation

Pretty simple and easy to search products or brands coz of the huge search bar right at the top of the page. A very simple website and it is not heavy at all.

Popular Brands are listed in the fore front, products divided in various categories as tabs, list of featured products are listed as you scroll down, customer care number and email is listed on the top of the page in the violet header

So many features so simply given on the main page itself is one of the good things of the site. And, to make it more simple, you can log in with your facebook account which makes the tedious process of creating an account very simple. I simply don't like to create accounts whichever site I visit but I would definitely like it to remember my details. Yes, this one remembers your billing address.

yeah they have filters enabled for easy searching of products (look on the left side) and you can check your shopping bag any time during your shopping and even edit it without leaving the page

Brands

Ok, this is one hitch with this relatively young website. The brands are not numerous and almost all are generally available at a beauty store so I would definitely love to see new and not so easily accessible brands on it. But, then, I think they are adding new brands on their website coz I am seeing new names today since I last checked on Friday. 

check out all the brands

continuation from the previous screen shot

I should also add that they have a huge source of perfumes so in case you are looking for perfume shopping, you should definitely try this website.

Discounts

That is supposed to change from time to time and depending on different festivals and offers. But, right now, I saw 7-10% off on products which I browsed through.

Check out and Payment

this is how the order page looks like

you can pay either of the ways though Cash on Delivery makes life very easy

so they accept all cards too

Order Delivery

Well, I have to say they are super quick. You think this post is late as compared. Well, that's my fault. The order was super quick. I placed the order on Friday, they called to confirm it on Saturday (my fault again, my phone is acting weird!!!) and I got the delivery on Monday (I was expecting it on Wednesday). So, check out what I ordered and what shape they came in. 

I do like the name Violet Bag, don't you???

it opens vertically and everything is nicely packed using thermocol cubes

yeah all products are individually packed in bubble wrappings (I love to break the bubbles, do you??)

so, this is what I hauled!!!

Ok, so all the products arrived safely and what's more, I checked the manufacturing date of all. The Biotique an Loreal products were of the latest manufacturing date but Ponds manufacturing was in March, 2010 and it expires in March, 2012. Well, the product is not widely available so may be that's the reason. I don't have any issues with that, though!!!

My Recommendation
Oh yes!! You should definitely check this out.

PS: I was provided discount voucher from the website for the review.