Aloe Veda Chocolate Vanilla Lip Butter {Product Review}

Price: Rs 115 for 10gms

Ingredients

Since the pic is not really clear, I will mention the ingredients here:

Sunflower oil, Soyabean oil, Beeswax, Sweet Almond oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E, Chocolate Flavor & Vanilla Flavor, Octyl methoxycinnamate

Pros

- its really buttery!!!

- spreads easily on the lips
- moisturizes the lips very well
- staying power is good
- stays all night long and makes the lips soft and supple

Cons

- tub packaging :(

- does get a little washed off when you eat something which happens with all lip balms
- it doesn't repair the lips in a long term which is sad

My Experience

The product is brown in color but obviously goes transparent on the lips. Its really buttery and melts easily with body temperature and spreads easily on the lips. But, I have noticed that it didn't help me with cracked and chapped lips. It just keeps my lips soft and moisturized till the time it is on the lips.

Ok, all lip balms do get washed off when I eat something or drink water. Though, it does have resistance towards water a little. But, I absolutely hate the tub packaging. No, I am not such a huge hygiene fanatic because I always make sure that no one else uses my products and my hands are clean when I am using them.

But, the product does tend to get in the nails and nail bed and also lip balms are more easily applied from a tube application. When I apply this lip balm with my fingers, it always spreads around my lips :( The product might seem expensive but it lasts really long. I have been using it since a month and I have finished only a little.

PS: Product sent by brand.

Other products from Aloe Veda:

Aloeveda Moisturising Bathing Bar Indian Khus with Kewda Extracts

Skin Care Essentials {Skin Care}

[Source:Google Images]

Last week, I discussed about how a man's skin differs from a woman. But, the skin care routine stays more or less the same for both the genders so let us discuss some points.

Good Cleanser

Using a good cleanser is very imperative to a clean skin. The cleanser should be mild and be able to clean out the dirt out of your pores. Using medicated cleansers presecribed by dermatologists is also an option.

Exfoliate

This is another carnal rule of skin care. You don’t want your pores to be clogged. So, exfoliate using gentle scrubbers which remove the dead skin easily and do not really tear the skin. Once a week is sufficient if you are using a really powerful scrubber but it can also be extended to twice a week depending on your usage of products and exposure to natural forces like pollution and sun.

Sun Protection

You don’t really want to look aged at any age, right? So, get a good sunscreen with adequate protection for yourself and slather it on before you venture out even if it is for 5 minutes or even for 2 minutes. Preferable, get a Zinc Oxide based sunscreen which is skin friendly and environment friendly too.

Wear Shades

Getting a good quality sun glasses which wrap around your eyes is a very good idea to protect your eyes from not only sun rays but also from letting the dirt and pollution inside the eyes. Don’t hitch to spend on a good quality shade.

Protect Hands

Hands again are important as they are continuously doing our work and come in contact with so many germs. So, it is our duty to keep them soft and healthy looking. Slather on a rich face moisturizer on your hands before you sleep. And, do not forget to use a moisturizer on hands after washing them every time.

Lip Care

Your lips are sensitive and do not have any sun protection. So, make sure you always slather on a good lip balm on your lips and it is even better if the lip balm comes with sun protection.

Facial Moisturizer

Again very important and easily ignored by many people, your skin needs a lot of moisture from outside as well. So, use a good moisturizer which suits your skin and keep it looking soft and healthy.

How do you take care of your skin? Pin It

Nivea Repair and Protection {Product Review}

Price: Rs 140 (approx) for 4.8gms

Ingredients

My Experience

I needed an un-tinted lip balm for regular usage so I got this one.So, did I really like it? Well, I would say that it does protect the lips from sun. This one comes with spf 15. So, that's a plus. But, I don't really understand the claims of strengthening the lips so I shall limit the claims to repairing and protecting the lips especially sensitive lips.

First of all, I would say that it is hard to apply on the lips and doesn't glide as easily as other Nivea lip balms. And, regarding the moisturization, I thought that it does keep lips soft but it stays on the lips and the lips feel heavy which is a very irritating in case of lip balms. And, I didn't really think it stays for too long too. So, as far as my experience is, I am not very happy with this one. I would say that the Hydrocare from Nivea is better than this one.

I have just put my experience in front of you and I leave the decision on you now :)

Also read other review from the same brand:
Is your skin itchy?
Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Milk
Nivea Fruity Shine Dragon Fruit vs Pomegranate
Reminiscing Life through Beauty Products
Winter Skin Care Lotions

Get soft lips this winter {Lip Care}

[Source: Google Images]

Some remedies I read in a magazine so check them out: 

• Rub cucumber slices on your lips. 
• Aloevera gel also works wonders to keep the lips soft.
• Neem leaves juice is good at controlling chapped and bleeding lips so try this out. 
• And, the very own remedy - "shuddh desi ghee" which keeps the lips soft, pink and beautiful.

So, go ahead and try out these remedies and do not forget to drink lots and lots of water in the winters to keep your lips beautiful. Also, check out this lip scrub to keep away the tanning and do not forget to apply sunscreen regularly on the lips too.

Nivea Fruity Shine Dragon Fruit vs Pomegranate {Product Review}

This post has been long in waiting. I really like Nivea lip balms and have used quiet a few of them but I don't in general like anything sitting on my lips coz it goes down with the water or anything I eat. But, sometime back, Nivea Pomegranate was all the craze and I wanted it badly so I went to hunt for it. In the first attempt, it wasn't available and I ended up buying the Dragon Fruit but the second attempt was successful and I was proud owner of Pomegranate. Ok, I don't remember the prices but both were somewhere near about Rs 125 - 150 range. And, I also don't have the ingredient list. So, lets get on directly with the experience. 

My Experience

Dragon Fruit is pink in color and hideous in fragrance. Of course, I have been using it since 2-3 months or may be more so now, it doesn't offend me at all. But, if you are new to the product, its disgustingly fruity!!! Otherwise, it gives a nice pink tint to the lips and stays on for 2 hours probably. I am not a good judge on staying power coz I keep on munching or eating something or the other and lip balms always disappear!!!

Swatches and excuse the non-waxed hands!!!

Pomegranate is reddish in its tint and gives a beautiful color to the lips. It smells sweet and is pleasanter than Dragon Fruit. It is more moisturizing than the latter one too and probably stays more too from what I have observed. The one thing I would like to include in the review is that the Pomegranate brings out the darker complexion in a beautiful way. It literally makes the skin glow even if you haven't put on any makeup. So, I would definitely recommend this to the darker complexioned people.

Btw, both the lip balms have spf 15 so protect lips from the sun too :)

My Recommendation

If you are warm toned and darker in complexion, I would strongly recommend Pomegranate as it brings out the color of the skin really well. Otherwise, you can go for Dragon Fruit if you are looking for pink. It will best suit on fair skin, though!!!

PS: Oh, btw, did you enter the Yardley giveaway yet??? If you haven't, follow this link - Yardley Giveaway and submit the answer to the question asked and you are done!!!

Water for Lips {Lip Care}

Ok, so summers are gone and monsoons are already raging down on us. And, places which are cooler and highly humid come with another disadvantage. You forget to drink water because the thirst is not felt so much as much as in scorching heat. So, it is very important that you keep on sipping water little by little every one hour so that you don't go dry because it will affect your health first and then the skin, hair and lips show the signs of dryness. Lip becomes dry very easily when you don't drink enough water so make sure before applying your favorite lip balms or lip treatments, you are drinking enough water.

Dry Skin around Lips {Lip Care}

Today only I noticed white spots on the skin around my lips. The skin around my lips has becomes extremely dry and is starting to flake off. I suddenly remembered that this is a sign of deficiency of Vitamin B complex in the body. So, in case you have dry skin around your lips, increase your intake of Vitamin B - either get supplements ny consulting a doctor or eat Vitamin B rich foods like bananas, pulses and lentils, all unprocessed foods including vegetables and fruits, potatoes and beans. This biotin drink also helps in fulfilling the vitamin B deficiency so check it out. Also, increase your consumption of yogurt in general.

Himalaya Herbals Natural Moisturizing Lip Butter {Product Review}

Price: 125 INR for 10 gms

Ingredients

Well, I am really sorry that I threw away my pack but I remember reading the list and admiring few things in it. It has cocoa and sal and kokum butter. In fact the list was full of oils and butters and it also has beeswax and it is free from petroleum which is a huge plus for this product. 

My Experience

I have been using this since quite a long while (probably around 3 weeks). My biggest complain with this one is its packaging. I would have enjoyed this lip balm had it been in the tube or packaged just like Nivea lip balms because of hygiene and also because of the ease of use of the product. It pretty easy to use the tube on the lips as compared to digging into the tub and scooping it out and then smoothing it on the lips. Apart from this, I would say that the lip balm delivers what it promises. I use this on my lips on the days when I am at home or at night and it keeps my lips soft. Ok, there is probably another thing. The product is moisturizing but it sits on the lips. Well, this is a problem I face with every other lip balm I have tried (including Vaseline, Nivea and Baviphat) so I wouldn't say this lip balm fails on this point. And, of course, you have to apply it every time you eat or drink anything otherwise it stays for minimum of 3-4 hours. But, this lip balm doesn't dry the lips like some others do. And, this smells really awesome. But, the smells lingers on for a long time after you have applied so if you have a sensitive nose then it might irritate you after a certain while. And, regarding the quantity, it will last a long time.        

 

My Recommendation

Yes, it is a good lip balm to keep the lips soft and to prevent chapped lips problem.

PS: Product sent by brand for consideration.

How to protect your skin and hair during Holi? {Skin Care}

[Source:forum.santabanta.com]

Yes, finally, Holi is just a few days away and all are gearing up for the celebrations and festive cheers. But, the season of Holi brings with it the added risk of chemically synthesized colors which are extremely harmful for our skin and hair. So, you must take certain precautions before staring off with playing with colors. Not only should you take care of your face and hair, but do not forget your arms and your nails. 

Before playing:

• Wear a high factor water proof sunscreen on every part of your body which is exposed. Apply it in thick layers. You should ideally go for 2-3 layers applied at an interval of half or an hour each. This will protect you from prolonged sun exposure and do not forget that the colors might react with your skin and make it photo sensitive. Try to use a chemical sunscreen instead of a physical one as they are more effective and make sure sunscreen is the first thing you apply on your skin.
• After applying sunscreen, apply a thick layer of any oil like almond, olive, coconut or sesame oil (preferably castor oil as it is thick in texture) as they make a film on your skin and protect direct contact from colors. Sesame Oil also provides an added sun protection as it is a natural sun blocker.
• Do not forget to apply the sunscreen and oil to your arms and other parts of your body exposed. All the precautions apply to your feet as well. It will be beat if you are wearing socks. If not, apply oil and then, put a very thick coat of glycerin or honey to avoid slipping.
• You should take care of your nails too. So, apply a thick coat of any nail paint in the morning. And, do not forget to oil your cuticles. They get the worse effects.
• Oil your hair nicely concentrating on the roots and ends. And, after an hour, apply a thick coat of your hair conditioner to your hair. Prefer a leave-in instead of the regular after-shampoo hair conditioners.
• Apply a moisturizing lip paint coating it with a lip gloss.

After playing:

• First of all, wash all your skin with cold water. Do not use hot or lukewarm water. It takes more time to wash.
• Brush your teeth. I know you would have done it in the morning, but, nothing wrong in doing it again.
• Do not use a soap or cleanser to wash your skin. Use a homemade scrub mixed with milk and milk cream to wash your body.
• Now, use a herbal shampoo to wash your hair. After washing your hair, use an intensive conditioner or a deep conditioning treatment or you can apply honey on your hair and wash off after 30 minutes. 
• During your bath, clip your nails. The nail beds would have been ruined because of the color so make them grow nice and strong again. 
• Do a hand soak and a foot soak to relax your hands and feet during your bath. 
• Remove the lipstick and scrub your lips nicely.

And, now, you are back to being beautiful and gorgeous without ruining your skin and enjoying the festival of colors. Some precautions to be observed:

• Do not let the color go into your eyes. If you wear contacts, I would advise you to wear specs as they give a barrier between your eyes and color. If any color enters your eyes, wash them with cold water repeatedly.
• Do not let the color enter your mouth. Yes, it happened to me once. Someone attacked me from the back and it was liquid color. It went into my mouth. If it does, rinse your mouth thoroughly and brush your teeth then and there. 
• I would suggest you all to go for herbal colors available in the market instead of the synthetic colors.
  
  Wish you all a very Happy Holi. Pin It
  

An amazing lip scrub

Yes, I wanted to share with you an amazing lip scrub which I tried while brushing my teeth. I have already talked about home remedies for teeth whitening. Now, I want to tell you that you can use Baking Soda or the toothpaste (3 spoons of Baking Soda and 1 spoon salt) for scrubbing your lips. Use a spare brush to scrub your lips. And, your lips would become natural pink with regular usage. But, be careful with the frequency of scrub. Be very gentle while scrubbing your lips or you might harm them. And, do not use the scrub more than 4-5 times a week and not more than once in a day. 

And, after scrubbing your lips, moisturize them with this homemade lip balm.

Recipe for Lip Balm with Sunscreen factor {DIY}

Lip Balm is very important for taking care of your lips. As you use lotion or moisturizer for body and cold cream for face, lips also need to be moisturized. Today, I am posting a recipe for lip balm with sunscreen properties.

Ingredients:

- Vaseline / Petroleum Jelly / Beeswax / Shea Butter / Cocoa Butter (can be used in combination also)

- Coconut oil

- Sesame oil

- 2 Vitamin E capsules

- Almond oil

- Essential oil

- Grated Chocolate / Honey

Method:

• Melt Vaseline / Petroleum Jelly / Beeswax / Shea Butter / Cocoa Butter in a double broiler ( put a pan inside a pan). The butters or the waxes would melt and becomes liquid. At this point, remove the heat. The present heat would be enough to make the balm. (I used a 25ml vaseline jar so the measurements are according to that quantity. Vary them according to the quantity you are using.)
• Pour 20 drops of  sesame oil and 10 drops of coconut oil. Sesame oil and coconut oil have sunscreen properties. Sesame oil blocks 60% UV and coconut oil blocks 20% UV. 
• Pour 5 drops of almond oil. Almond oil keeps your lips soft and moisturized for a long duration.
• Remove the container from the broiler or heat completely now.
• Prick two capsules of vitamin E and empty the contents into the container.
• Wait for three minutes (do not let it get too solid, just wait for it to cool down a little) and put 5 drops of your favorite essential oil. 
• Stir all the ingredients together. It will begin to solidify in a matter of 5 minutes. Leave the mixture for  an hour to solidify properly and then scoop it out and store in a small glass jar.
• Do not use food flavorings because they irritate the skin and cause dryness.
• If your balm becomes too soft, add a bit more of vaseline / butters and if it is too hard, pour more of almond oil.

Variations:

• For chocolate flavored lip balm, melt grated chocolate in the broiler along with the butters or jelly. Remove from heat and add oils. Mix all ingredients and your chocolate flavored lip balm is ready.
• You can put a tea spoon of honey into the mixture for a more glossy and sweet smelling balm. 

Note: Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) is not good for skin as it blocks the pores. Try to use shea butter, cocoa butter or beeswax instead.