Keeping skin flawless and beautiful for the festive times {Skin Care}

Everyone is busy in Christmas and New Year preparations. So, how to prepare to look good in the celebrations. Follow the following tips and enjoy the holidays:

• Drink adequate amount of water, no matter what. People tend to drink less water in winters but it affects the skin more adversely. The winter winds dehydrate the skin anyways. You have to hydrate yourself to keep in balance. If you fail to do it, your skin will look leathery with all the make up on and no suppleness.
• Sleep properly and adequately. Finish your beauty sleep for minimum 7 hours. Do not take any drinks two hours prior to sleep. 
• Cleanse your face every night, no matter what. Otherwise, your skin will look aged on next day. 
• Before the celebrations begin, get yourself an appointment at the saloon well in advance. Remember this is a rush hour season and be on time. Get yourself pampered and indulge in expenses. You would love the result. Get a hair cut and highlights if you wish. They will look great. 
• On the day of festivities, give yourself appropriate time to get ready. Do not rush through it.
• Include body scrub, bath oils, bath salts in your bath and soak for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour 2-3cups of milk and 2-3 drops of any essential oil of your choice in your tub and soak. Scrub with wash cloth afterward gently.
• While soaking, you can also apply any fruit face mask if you want and tea bags on your eyes to relax them and make them look brighter. Banana, papaya, orange brings an instant glow on the face. Apple makes your skin look clean and bright. Any fruit will do the job because of the natural ingredients present in it. You can also include milk cream or vegetable oils suitable to your skin while mashing the fruits to moisturize. Prepare a fresh batch every time.
• Wash your hair before you go for a soak. Do not condition. While you soak, apply honey on your hair and cover with a shower cap. While you are showering, wash your hair well and use any tea or vinegar as last rinse. It gives instant shine to your hair. Let your hair air dry if not in hurry. 
• When you come out of the shower, apply some perfume on the skin. Dab perfume on warm areas of your body like armpits, cleavages, inner thighs. Moisturize your body. Apply perfume again on the same spots you applied earlier or as per your choice. You can apply talc and then again apply perfume. Last layer can be put on the clothes you wear. Ensure the floral smells and buy a natural perfume which is non-irritating to your skin. Applying perfume in layers and warm areas ensures it to stay longer.
• When your hair is damp, style your hair. You can use shine serums to increase the shine or other hair products of your choice. Use products in moderation so as to not let your hair weigh down. Less is good.
• Before applying make up, do not forget your sunscreen in case your are going out in day time.
• At night, a lip gloss and mascara is enough to give the effect.  
• For people who are not product junkies and like to go natural like me, 2-3 drops of any vegetable oil would be enough to bring shine to your hair. When your hair is damp, take oil into your palms and finger comb through your hair paying special attention to the ends. This will seal the moisturizer into your hair. While finger combing, gently untangle your hair so that you do not need to comb or brush it. Simple finger combing can give great style to your hair. Try it out. Definitely, it depends a lot on the hair texture too. Wavy hair is the best bet. Or, if you still prefer combing, use a wide tooth comb. Do not forget sunscreen in any case. To be ready for a night out, a lip gloss adds a smashing effect. Making up the eyes is no harm but the least you can do is to apply kohl. They give an instant lift to your eyes. Wash your eyes with lot of cold water before that to make them look brighter. Buy good products. Do not worry about expenses. Cheap products are often not good for the skin but, again, do not judge by the brands. Go for products which suit your skin.

Take care of your skin regularly and you do not need any special vanity case to prepare for a party. Proper nutrition is important in skin care. But, indulge during festivities. Do not starve yourself of the enjoyments.

Wish you all a Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Vivel Active Essentials 3-in-1 Face Wash + Scrub {Product Review}

Price: Rs

Pros

cleanses the face really well

jojoba beads provide mild exfoliation

Cons

not meant for all skin types even if it says all kind types

leaves my skin a bit dry sometimes

jojoba beads don't get washed off properly

has SLS!!

My Experience

The product is a beautiful pearly blue in color with blue jojoba beads for exfoliation. The beads are not harsh on the skin but for me, the exfoliation wasn't enough. It doesn't help with the blackheads. The product last quite long, little being enough for every time. It lathers quite well and cleanses really well.

The face does look a bit brighter after using it. But, I do feel my skin is getting dry so probably it will suit only oily skin people and not dry. As I said earlier, my skin gets dry as the climate gets cooler, a drying face wash doesn't exactly help!! I love the color of the product, the pale blue.

So, did you use it? Do share what you think about it!

PS: Product sent by brand.

You might like:

Garnier Light Fairness Face wash 

Dove Deep Pure Face Wash 

Auravedic Botanical Actives Pulpy Facewash Honey Almond

Clean and Clear Fairness Cream {Product Review}

Price: Rs 120 for 40gms

Pros

controls oil admirably for entire day

leaves skin brighter and matte

gets absorbed really easily

Cons

doesn't suit dry skin at all so stay away!! 

My Experience

The product is light pink in color and very thin in consistency and not at all heavy!! I would say this is a perfect cream for oily skin. Why? Because, it doesn't let my skin get oily and yes, my skin feels a little stretched coz its actually dry combination and these days, my skin is not that oily. Had it been summers, it would have suited me perfectly.

No, its not suitable for dry skin at all. Or, even if you spend a lot of time on AC, I would not suggest this for you. Regarding the fairness claims, I didn't really find it do anything to my skin. But, yes, it probably did make my skin glow but I can't be really sure. But, I did notice that my skin turns a little ashy when I apply more than two pea-size drops of products for my face and neck, one for each.

It does stand true to the claims of oil free so yes, when combined with its counter part face wash, its a perfect recipe to combat oily skin. It would have been great if the products had been launched during summers - quite a respite for oily skin types :) Regarding its sunscreen and UV filter claims, I prefer to use a separate sunscreen. 

PS: Product sent by brand.

Other products from Clean and Clear:

Clean & Clear Skin-Balancing Moisturizer

Clean & Clear Fairness Face Wash

Clean & Clear Fairness Face Wash {Product Review}

Price: Rs 99 for 80gms

Pros

leaves the skin little brighter after wash

doesn't stretch the skin or make it dry, very rare occurrences even if it happens!!

is little gritty in texture so provides extremely mild exfoliation

doesn't have SLS

Cons

no skin type is mentioned on the product but this is especially for only combination and oily skin!!

My Experience
The product is a pearly pink in color and a little thick in consistency. A little of the product goes a long way. It also cleanses the skin really well. In fact, I found this face wash to similar to that of Ponds and Dove face washes in every way. The ingredient list is also almost same having myristic acid as one of the top ingredients.

I do not like the fairness claims but it leaves a skin little brighter and a bit pinkish after the wash. It doesn't dry the skin overtly but I do think it might not be suitable for dry skin. Regarding the oil control claims, I can't make any observations because the climate has considerably cooled down and my skin gets oily only in high temperatures. 

Though, I should probably mention that even though its really sunny these days sometimes, my skin doesn't get much oily, only sweaty. Oh, one thing is that the gritty texture of the product helps exfoliating. Its not a high-powered one but for daily use, its fine. So, yup, give a chance and then decide whether to stick to it or not.

PS: Product sent by brand. 

Other Clean & Clear product reviewed on the blog:

Clean & Clear Skin-Balancing Moisturizere

What happens when you do not use Sunscreen? {Sunscreen}

This post is specially for people who have not yet adapted this routine thinking it to be just a frivolous stuff. Well, may be it was and that was the doubt which made me do this little experiment. I forgo-ed sunscreen for almost two weeks and now I am putting up these findings.

I have been using sunscreen more or less regularly since a year. And, I apply sunscreen only once in a day. But, I do apply a good amount of it for proper protection. And, yes, I do go out in the peak time of 10 AM - 4 PM as well. So, lets get on the with my findings.

My arms are back to whatever state they were tanned prior to my use of sunscreen. Interestingly, I observed the tanning only after a couple of days without sunscreen. The first day I didn't apply sunscreen, my skin was looking more or less the same. 

Talking about the face and neck, yes, they are also tanned. Not as much as my arms coz I did use sunscreen on and off. And, I am using a lightening oil as well at night to combat this tanning but still I know that my complexion has grown darker. 

So, now that I know that sunscreen is extremely important to preserve my skin complexion, I would try not to skip it. And, this is my first advise to everyone who love their skin. Oh! Btw, please remember that the benefits of using sunscreen are apparent only if you use the proper amount and after around a month of use. That's when you will see changed in your skin, be it color or texture. 

So, what do you think? Do you find yourself getting tanned whenever you skip sunscreen? 

Related Posts:

How to remove tanning on arms?
5 Steps to get fairer skin?

5 Steps to get fairer skin? {Five Series}

PS: This post is for all those people who have asked me to give tips on fairer skin. I am sorry that I couldn't reply to you all personally but hope this post is helpful to you :)

Since quite long, I have been seeing a trend of questions on this topic from people who are either getting married or who have darker skin tones. So, first of all, I would like to say that you can't really lighten the skin complexion. The skin color is determined by the amount of melanin your skin has and you can't do anything to reduce the amount of this pigment inside your skin. Ok, after that bit of science, I would like to say that you can do somethings to preserve your original complexion.

Sunscreen

Yup, that's the first step to any kind of skin care. And, I totally stress on the importance of this routine. I would suggest Neutrogena Ultra Sheer but my favourite is MVO Moisturizing Face Screen. I have often heard complains that the sunscreen does nothing but the secret lies in using the proper amount of sunscreen to provide full protection.

Double Cleansing

To remove makeup or sunscreen after an entire day of work, use oil or a good makeup remover before washing your face. Its one of the most important routines of the night. 

Face Wash and Tone

Use your face wash as you would and don't forget to use the toner if your face is oily. I would suggest using homemade toners for your skin type. Green tea for oily and combination skin and rose water for dry skin. You can do other experiments with them as well.

Moisturize and Nourish

One of the most important routines even if your skin is oily. Get a good moisturizer. Or, use aloevera gel if your skin is oily. Its the best bet. For dry skin, I would suggest using a facial oil or serum instead of moisturizer at night. 

Face Scrub and Mask

The above steps were regular routine. But, some extra love is needed to keep skin in perfect condition so exfoliate on every alternate day for oily skin or if you layer too many products on your skin at day time. And, if you have dry skin, exfoliate twice a week. 

For dry skin, use sugar to exfoliate. For combination and oily skin, mix salt and sugar to exfoliate. They have alpha-hydroxy acids which help with removing the blemishes and dark spots on regular usage. Also, they keep the skin supple and improve the skin tone by making the skin look brighter.

After scrubbing, always follow with a mask. You can use any commercially-available products. I would not suggest you to use fruit masks after scrubbing with sugar because fruits also have active enzymes and sugar also have active enzymes so that can too much for your skin at a single time. 

If you plan to use fruits, remember that they have active enzymes which do both the jobs - exfoliation and acting as a mask so keep the fruit juices on your skin for 15 minutes and wash off. Using sugar to exfoliate and using fruit juices as mask afterwards can make the skin sensitive. Honey is a good mask in such cases.

These are the steps I follow regularly to keep my complexion glowing. Please remember that whatever you do to your face, do the same to your neck and decolletage. You don't want your neck and lower body to look older and uncared for. But, also remember NOT to overdo things EVER. Keep things regular and you will notice difference in a month. 

What's your secret to preserving your skin complexion? Are you already following a particular routine or going to follow this routine? Do share your results :)

Image Courtesy:medtips.in

Related Posts: 

Homemade Body Polish

Lakme Perfect Radiance Intense Whitening Capsules Treatment {Product Review}

This is my first ever try of Lakme’s skin care range. I have always loved their makeup products but this time I am madly in love with these capsules from their skin care range.

Price: 1250 for 28 capsules (very expensive, I must say!!)

 

My Experience

These capsules contain pale yellow serum which is very light in texture. When I apply it on my skin, it feels so soft!! Its absolutely non greasy and gets absorbed instantly into the skin. My skin is oily and I am, generally, afraid of creams and serums but this one rocks for my skin as it provides perfect moisture to my skin without making it oily. And, the best part is it never broke me out!!

Though the product says "twist the capsule to open it", I prefer scissors. The quantity of each capsule is 0.33gms and its enough for the entire face (I am wondering what about neck?? they could have given a bit more for the neck!!). Currently, I am on my second purchase and I am totally loving it. I can see wonderful glow on my face. (Thanks to my sister who forced me to use it and see the magic).

My uneven skin tone is more even and clearer. And the best part is my dark spots and post-pimple marks are lightened to some extent. It also keeps oil at bay for at leats 7-8 hours (when used at night). I don’t know why they called it a whitening treatment. It’s a great brightening treatment. I am absolutely in love with this serum though it’s little expensive for 28 capsules but its worth it.

Now, my friends are asking me what have I done on my face :D Lakme’s claim of freedom from 6 fairness blocks - dark spots, acne marks, uneven skin tone, oiliness, tanning and dullness is true. I think I have 5 of these problems and the product helped me reduce all of them. I am not tanned (you are so lucky!!). For me, it worked really great so I am going to buy it again.

Editor's Note: I was attracted to the product right form the start and now, your review is literally making me run to the shop and get one for myself but damn the expense!!! :(

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Great review, Punam!! Don't forget to check out her blog here.

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Other product I loved/hated from Lakme: 
Lakme Vital Indulgence
Lakme Perfect Radiance Fairness Facewash
Lakme Fruit Blast Berrylicious Fruit Revitalizing Scrub Mask

Lush Dark Angels Face Cleanser {Product Review}

Price: Rs 700 for 100 gms (approx.)

Ingredients

Rhassoul Mud, Cold Pressed Avocado Oil (Persea gratissima), Glycerine, Powdered Charcoal, Black Sugar (sucrose), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Perfume, *Linalool, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Rosewood oil (Aniba rosaeodora)

 

Pros

natural ingredients

makes the skin really soft

exfoliates amazingly!!

Cons

doesn't control oil production

doesn't remove oil or cleanse really well

very expensive!!

My Experience

I got this in June and have been using it on and off since then. I had been wanting to try the product since a very very long time so was very excited to try it out. So, how to use it a very big problem and trust me when I say its damn messy!!! It will blacken your washbasins and everywhere else it touches. 

How to use? Take a pea size amount and pour a drop or two of water on it and make a paste which will be a little watery and cleanse with it thoroughly. Though, I would like to say that it doesn't really cleanse well. I use oil to remove the traces of sunscreen from my skin and this product doesn't cleanse that oil as thoroughly as I would like. 

But, its a damn good exfoliator. It leaves the skin soft and smooth and removes the whiteheads but it didn't really have any noticeable effect on my blackheads. I use it on alternate days to scrub my face properly. Its not at all harsh. Oh btw, avoid looking in the mirror or you might frighten yourself :D Yes, it looks like black paint on the face!! 

 

Its definitely expensive and would last two months at max if used regularly which I think is way too less. The expiry period of the product is probably four months from the date of manufacture but I do have issues with this date things in Lush. They provide date of packaging and expiry but the date of packaging is date when you buy the product. So, how do they calculate the date of expiry? Honestly, Lush is not really working out well for me!!

Have you used Dark Angels?

Other products I love or hate from Lush:

Lush Caca Noir

Lush Aqua Marina Cleanser

Lush Gorilla Perfumes - Short Description

Update on Lush Caca Noir

Raw Sugar and Rock Salt {Ingredients}

I have been always raving about sugar and salt scrubs but I have heard so many complaints about sugar being too harsh on skin. So, I wanted to share the sugar and salt which I use for my scrubs.

Fab India Raw Sugar

Raw Sugar is called Khandsari in Hindi. It is a less refined sugar, next to jaggery which is completely unrefined. It melts easily on skin and is not at all harsh and exfoliates really well. You can use it in place of sugar as well. Its less sweet, as well!!

Price: Rs 150 for 100 gms (approx.)

Skin Type: Dry to Matured

Patanjali Sendha Namak

Rock Salt is amazing for skin. I found only Patanjali selling rock salt in Hyderabad so I used it. In fact, rock salt is a little clumpy and not free flowing but this one is as fine as normal sugar so I do have doubts on the quality. If you know of anything better, do feel free to use it.

Price: Rs 10 for 1kg

Skin Type: Combination to Oily 

So, do check out this amazing DIY using the above ingredients which makes your skin glow like anything!! And, do let me know your experience :)

Dove Deep Pure Face Wash {Product Review}

Dove soaps are not my favourite but their face washes did catch my eye and the best part is that they do not have SLS. So, lets check out if I liked it or not :)

Price: Rs 70 for 50gms

Pros

very less quantity required

no SLS

doesn't dry or stretch my skin 

Cons

no improvement in blackheads

doesn't really exfoliate as far as I could experience

My Experience

I don't know what to write in this review coz the face wash is nothing great and neither bad. Its formula is just similar to the Pond's face washes.The product claims to have micro-puff technology which cleanses the pores well and exfoliates at the same time.

Honestly, I don't think I really saw anything like that in my face. It doesn't brighten or stretch my skin or make it dry and neither does the face wash claim anything like that. It is an inexpensive and SLS free face wash which can be given a try.

PS: I have had two sources with dry skin inform me that it is indeed drying for skin so dry girls, take care!! Mine's combi.

PPS: I have decided to remove the Ingredients section for the products which are not natural. 

Other products from Dove:
Dove Color Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner
Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range

How do you choose the perfect shade? {Makeup}

Ohk, so when it comes to makeup or to speak of the simplest thing of tinted moisturizers, I am at loss with the shades. If I could, I would have written a post on "How to choose the perfect shade" (hoping someone would steal the title and give me a good post instead :-D). But, since I am total klutz at it, I would rather ask you. 

Whenever I got to buy a loose powder, I have this SA apply it on the back of my hand and if it blends, its awesome!!! But, unfortunately, they forget one thing that back of the hand is generally least tanned and way different in shade than the face. So, obviously, many times, the choice of shade goes wrong. 

Now, I also have this issue of white cast. Have you applied a tinted moisturizer and found it to give a white cast? So, what does that mean - do I have to take a darker shade or a lighter one? Well, I am sure it must have happened to you when you were an amateur as well. So, how do you really go about choosing the coveted shade?

Also, what do you do when you have an uneven skin on the face? The same shade doesn't go well everywhere, right? So, do you blend it with a moisturizer or buy two different shades and mix them? I think many do that as well but its not exactly very simple, right? So, hoping to see the tips from you :) Shoot them down!!

For those who are not aware, the shade of the foundation should be same as that of your jawline. Do check out my take on blending basics and please don't laugh if you find it really weird coz I am really not great at it :(

PS: Forgive me for enabling the word verification coz I do know how irritating Google has made it but I am getting an overload of spam comments so taking this step after a lot of deliberation. Hoping to see your comments continuing :)

Image Courtesy:yourbeautysecrets.tumblr.com,lilylolo.co.uk

Suggest a powder and foundation brush? {Your Opinion}

Ok, so, everyone, I need opinions from you as to which is a perfect foundation brush and even powder brush. Pocket friendly but good products are more welcome. I did check out TBS powder brush but it costs like 1100 and I was like :/ So, please give your suggestions and also where those products might be available?? I have heard a lot about EcoTools. Where are they available?? Online??

PS: No, I didn't go MIA. In fact, the internet went MIA! And, seriously, I don't know how to treat these two days of silence - I had fun without having the pressure of putting up a post and this affected my routine of writing post in a drastic sense so its feeling really weird writing the post right now :D

Image Courtesy:expertmakeupartist.com

Auravedic Botanical Actives Pulpy Facewash Honey Almond {Product Review}

Price: Rs 150 for 100gms

Ingredients

Pros

- made of natural ingredients

- no SLS (I am searching for a face was without SLS) 

- cleanses the skin really well 

- leaves the skin soft and doesn't stretch it

Cons

- stings the eyes real bad!!! 

- not suitable for excessively dry skin as it stings badly!!

- if you use excess of product, it makes the skin feel stripped

- it would have been great if it came in a flip top packaging

My Experience

I got this product back in February for review. But, that time, my skin was going through a dry patch so when I used this for two-three times, it really stung my skin badly. So, from personal experience, I can say that this product is really potent and is not for people who suffer from any skin issues like eczema and psoriasis. For the record, I don't have any.

it smells really funky like a jelly (in a good way)

So, I had to discontinue using this product that time and I had talked to the Auravedic people too regarding this issue. They also advised me to stop using it immediately. But, last month, I ran out of my face wash stock so I decided to give this a try again!! My skin was healthy and not going though any rough patches that time so the face wash was good. 

Coming to the cons again, the biggest problem I have with this product is that it stings my eyes every time I use it. It was really frustrating. Yes, I do understand that it has natural ingredients which are not suitable for the delicate eye area. But, I do expect not to end up hurting my eyes every time I wash my face. Otherwise, it cleanses the skin really really well. 

Also, another issue with the product is that since it comes in tub packaging, sometimes I do pick up a little more of product and if I do use excessive product at one time, it really makes my skin feel stripped off and dry. The usual amount to be used at one time is a pea size of the product and it forms a good amount of lather and leaves the skin really soft and doesn't stretch it at all. 

A flip top packaging would be a great idea for this product so that one can control the amount of product coming out of the bottle. Overall, I do want to give another variation (Rose-Saffron) of this a try but I am holding back just because of the stinging issues. Yes, it is definitely worth a try and one tub lasts for a month easily!!

PS: Product sent by brand. 

Other products from Auravedic:

Auravedic Reviving Body Cleanser

Auravedic Pure Brightening Skin Polish Amla Tamarind

Auravedic Facial Skin Repair Moisturizing Lotion

Auravedic Pomegranate Grapeseed Face Polish

Vedic Line+ Exfo 10 Avocado Face Scrub {Product Review}

Price: Rs 175 for 100gms

Ingredients

check out the oils - sesame, sweet almond, apricot, avocado oils and glycolic acid and glycerin!! and, it has papaya extract as well, wheatgerm oil which is listed just below yellow line and Portulaca extract which is supposed to have great anti-oxidant properties and fatty acids

Pros

- does give immediate brightening

- has apricot kernels or something which is not at all scratchy

Cons

- doesn't do anything for the blackheads

- may leave a creamy residue on the face after being washed off

My Experience

This product contains glycolic acid which made me very curious about the product. Its packaging or rather the color of the packaging is something I really love -  a bright pink. The product is creamy in color and consistency and has lots of small granules which are walnut shell powder. 

Interestingly, the granules are not harsh at all. They feel like apricot scrub, soft and gentle on the skin. I like to help myself to a generous amount of scrub but the product will easily last for around two months if used regularly. And, results of the scrubbing is that the skin is left brighter and softer. 

And, if you noticed the ingredients, it has quite some oils which is interesting!!! But, I do have an issue with the product which is that the scrub does leave a creamy residue after being washed off. I do not like my products to leave any residue on the skin. Otherwise, its a really good and gentle scrub which will suits all skin types, even oily. 

PS: Product sent by brand. 

Other products from Vedic Line:
Vedic Line Apple Green Toner
Vedic Line Fig & Honey Moisturizer
Vedic Line Papaya Scrub and Papaya Face Pack
Vedic Line Neem & Brahmi Disinfecting Face Wash

Apply moisturizer on damp skin {Tip of the Day}

I have mentioned this countless of times and probably done dedicated posts for this as well but I wanted to reiterate this tip again today. So, for those of you who already know about it and have tried, apologies for saying the same things again and again.

Whenever you face a difficulty to spread any product on your skin, try applying it on damp skin. It works beautifully and gives an even finish with a dewy look. This worked especially great for the Ponds White Beauty Spot-less Cream which I had reviewed recently. I totally forgot to mention about it in the post so thought I would put up a separate one!!! Also, keep one thing in mind that do not apply any sunscreen on damp skin.

Image Courtesy:ciscalim.blogspot.com

Ponds White Beauty Daily Spot-less Lightening Cream SPF 20 PA++ {Product Review}

Before starting the review, I want to reiterate that I do not support fairness products. I have reviewed this solely out of my curiosity and I wanted to see how much of the hi-flying claims it supports.

Price: Rs 249 for 50gms

Ingredients

Ok, so, it has a long one and I did click it but it wasn't very clear so I am gonna skip this. And, yes, it has lots of chemicals. Btw, it has Niacinamide which is Vitamin B3 and it also has parabens in case you are interested.

Pros

- cute packaging

- evens out the skin tone

Cons

- makes me sweat a lot sometimes

- sticks to one place on my skin and refuses to spread smoothly

- doesn't fulfil any claims of fairness (it claims to make your skin fair genetically)

- can't use it as a sunscreen (this is not exactly a con)

- less on moisturizing

My Experience

So, this is my second fairness product. I remember long time back, I had tried out the Fair n Lovely sachet which used to come with magazines. I had tried it just once but I remember the texture of the cream which was a little powdery and felt dry. This Ponds one has the same texture. 

I like the packaging, though. But, taking enough amount of the product is a challenge when it is a tub packaging. I really wish they come with pump packing so that one pump or two are enough for one use. Take too much and the product clumps on the skin. The cream is a little thick and creamy and doesn't spread easily at all. 

In fact, blending was a huge headache for me in the starting but then, I used my regular method of applying moisturizer and it worked really well. But, even then, I have to make sure that I have just enough of the product to cover my face otherwise it does end up giving a white cast and a patchy look. And, after applying the product, you can see some of the product clumped up in the lines of your palms which is extremely annoying. 

Ok, to speak good of the product, it evens out my skin beautifully and gives a very pinkish look to my face. The skin looks brightened and a little glowy. However, I did not see any fairness or any skin lightening in the long run. I don't think it works on removing the tanning but I am not really sure of that.  It is suited for skin prone to more oiliness as it gives a mattifying look.

Ok, I do not really rely on my moisturizers to give me sun protection (I do not advise it either) so the product having spf is redundant for me. However, I have seen that the glow does stay till the evening on some days. But, this moisturizer is not enough if you have dry skin. It tends to make my skin dry even in summers (my skin is combination towards dry). 

But, I did sweat more with this product at times which was a shame. So, if you are looking for fairness, I would not recommend this. But, if you are looking for a product which evens out your skin temporarily, yes, you should definitely go for this. 

Fun Fact: I asked my dad to use this and his face was also a little brighter and even after applying this product. But, even he faced issues while blending it :D 

PS: Product sent by brand. 

More from Ponds:
Ponds Pure White Deep Cleansing Facial Foam
Ponds Face Washes

Ice Cubes to control Sweat {Tip of the Day}

It's so hot in Delhi and I sweat a lot so I really need something extra for keeping the sweat away. And, I remembered my ice cube tip which I used to use pretty long back. So, I decided to use it again. And, oh, it feels so good in this sultry heat. So, the tip is simple. Take an ice cube and rub it thoroughly on your face and neck till it melts away. And, let it dry or use a wash cloth to drain out the extra water and you are good to go!!! Using an ice cube ensured that I didn't sweat excessively afterwards and also, it kept my skin relatively cool.

Also, another tip is to use the ice cube before applying the makeup to make it last longer. Also, using an ice cube helps the foundation to go evenly on the skin and hide the pores as well as they get constricted. Ok, so sometime back, I also received a comment saying that applying ice cubes makes the skin dry. No, it doesn't. In fact, its just water so it hydrates the skin. Also, yes, you have to moisturize afterwards if you have a dry skin. Since my skin does get sweaty, I avoid moisturizers sometimes but its not a healthy habit. In fact, I didn't avoid moisturizer after applying the ice cube since the moisturizer does get absorbed pretty quickly due to the damp skin. Find a good moisturizer for your skin type and don't skip it ever!!

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Ice Cubes for your face

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Just Herbs Cascade Moisturising Day Care Lotion Aloevera & Wheatgerm {Product Review}

Price: Rs 345 for 100ml

Ingredients

Key Ingredients -Aloevera 5% **,Wheatgerm oil 0.5%, Jojoba oil 0.2%, Apricot kernel oil 0.2 %, Vetiver extract 0.1% ,

Other Ingredients -Aqua ( Purified/Mineral water) , Sunflower seed oil**, caprylic Capric Triglycerrides ( Fractionated Coconut Oil) Glyceryl stearate citrate/cetearyl alcohol/glyceryl caprylate*, Glycerine** Shea butter** Soy Lecithin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate*, Parfum, CI 14720 (colouring agent), Octyldodecanol*,  Disodium EDTA, Herbs-Essential oil Complex( Natural Preservative) Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.

** Certified Organic Ingredients

*  Natural Ingredients certified by ECOCERT

98.2% NATURAL RAW MATERIALS from renewable resources (Total amount of ingredients whose usage in cosmetic formulations follows sustainable standards)

Pros

- gets absorbed very quickly

- leaves the skin dewy and radiant

Cons

- not moisturizing for dry skin

- can make you sweat more

My Experience

the left is the Cascade Lotion

The product is very thin and gets absorbed into the skin pretty easily. And, I really like that it makes my skin look hydrated and moisturized without getting heavy. But, the main issue with this product is that it makes me sweat a lot if I am not in AC or in front of the cooler. I have used the product on my entire body and liked the way it kept my skin moisturized for 6 hours straight. 

The packaging is also very handy and travel-friendly. It comes with a pump. Only two pumps are required to cover my face and neck. Ok, this is a good product for normal to oily and combi skin but not suitable for dry skin. So, even if you have a combi dry skin, its not the product for you. I did face dryness sometimes.  Overall, its a good product to try out and see if it suits you. 

Also, I would like to point out that last time when I had reviewed the Silksplash face wash, I had complained about the secretive cleansing base, the PR guys from Just Herbs had reverted back immediately and furnished me with the entire ingredient list for this product. They also said that their packaging and ingredient listing policies are going to change soon in the near future. So, I am looking forward to the revelations :)

PS: Product sent by brand. 

Do you wash your face first thing in the morning? {Your Opinion}

When do you wash your face? In the shower or when you brush your teeth? I generally wash my face in the shower, howsoever late that may be. Its very rare that I wash my face first thing in the morning. But, it is supposed to be a good routine to wash your face first thing in the morning to remove all the oil accumulated at night as well as to remove the dead cells which have been accumulated when the skin repairs itself. Also, scrubbing in the morning is said to be extremely beneficial to remove the dead skin cells and reveal glowing skin. So, when do you wash your face?

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How to wash your face?

And, last day to enter the Aloeveda giveaway. Hurry!!

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Facials from the fridge {Reader's Tips}

It always seems difficult to find time to make all these recipes to maintain yourself regularly. I found a shortcut to maintain my face - I usually create a base by grinding 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup milk powder and store it. Then depending on what I have in the fridge - I mix it in this powder base.

To tighten - mix egg whites and honey into 1 tsp powder base and apply on face, wash off after dry.

To moisturize - add avocado and almond oil into 1tsp powder base and apply - wash off after dry.

To absorb oil - mix egg whites and lemon juice into 1tsp powder base - apply, wash off after dry.

To tone and cleanse - mix yogurt and cucumber juice ( when you grate and press, juice can be extracted, no need to grind) in 1 tsp powder base and apply , rinse after dry.

If the paste is too tight I mix rose water or water to it. And the list goes on - anything you find like fresh fruits - I usually go to the ones that need no grinding or preparation. This really works - try it! As we don't find a lot of time as working moms with kids...anything easy works!!

Its an awesome tip, Padmaja. Thanks so much :)

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Read more of your favourite reader's tips here and you can submit one too (here). And, don't forget to enter the giveaway (last 3 days).

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