Beauty Tip of the Day

Some good money saving tips!

Body Scrub

"You don't have to spend money on pricey store-bought scrubs. Mix brown sugar and honey into a paste to buff your body smooth." —Makeup artist Kimara Ahnert

Smooth skin with Olive oil

"Use regular olive oil to get skin supersoft. Put a few drops on a cotton ball, and dab on flaky spots, avoiding any breakout zones. Then steam your face over a hot bowl of water to help it sink in." —Jennifer Buchina, director of Euphoria Spa, TriBeCa

Olay Age Protect Anti-Ageing Cream Review

I have been for many years was happy with Olay's moisturizers when I was a teen. We all know that, the best way to prevent wrinkles is to stay out of the sun and use a best SPF protection that suits your skin, healthy lifestyle and a good skin care regimen. However, probably because of too many catchy commercials and ads, I've started to get this need to use age defying stuff to try to prevent what is coming.

So I decided it’s about time I added an anti ageing product to my skin care regimen. I have liked Olay's products, so I decided to pick up Olay's Age Protect. 

So lets see what's the product claims: Olay Age Protect Anti-ageing cream claims lightens dark spots, reduces wrinkles, improves your skin tone.

Ingredients: Its formula contains Beta Hydroxy. 

Price: Rs. 125 for 18g

My experiences with Olay Age protect anti-ageing cream:

I used it as recommended, after one month of daily use, here is what I think: Olay Age Protect does work. But it's not magic; it doesn't reduce every wrinkle and age spot. But it makes your skin look BETTER than before, which is all we can really hope for, isn't it?

Pros:
1. This product absorbs fast and doesn't leave any greasy residue.

2. Skin tone did improve a little bit but not dramatically.

3. It did hydrate my skin very well.
4. Pores seem less obvious under my makeup. Good makeup base.
5. Reasonably priced for anti-aging range of products.

Cons:
1. I had some breakouts in my t-zone.

Recommendation:
Will recommend to those with normal to slightly dry skin.  But I won't advise those with acne-prone skin to use this.

Would I re-purchase?

No, it broke me out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Beautiful Skin Starts Here - by Dove

Hey Ladies, Check out these tips...

These are simple tips to live by -

I believe the most important things anyone can do to maintain their health and have a great skin is to eat well... have loads of vegetables and fruits every day, exercise regularly,  get enough sleep - at least 8 hours and avoid smoking and alcohol. Along with all this, follow a skin care regimen :)

Himalaya PureHands Hand Sanitizer Review

We all know the importance of hand hygiene practices, proper hand washing plays an important role in reducing harmful germs. But there are times when there is no access to soap and water or not enough time to wash your hands thoroughly. Hand sanitizers were developed for use after washing hands or for those times when soap and water are not available

What the Himalaya PureHands Hand Sanitizer claims: Kills 99.9% of germs, this is what almost all hand sanitizers say.

Himalaya Pure Hands Hand Sanitizer

Ingredients:

• Hrivera (Coleus vettiveroides) Dhanyaka (Coriandrum sativum)
• Nimbuka (Citrus limon)
• Ushira (Vetiveria zizanioides)
• Nimba (Azadirachta indica)

Flip top and swatch on my hand:

Flip top

Swatch

Price: 39/- for 50 ml

Directions to use: Squeeze coin-sized drop of the gel on your palms. Vigorously rub all sides of your hands with enough to get them wet, and rub them together until they are dry.

What I like about Himalaya PureHands Hand Sanitizer:

• It's convenient, portable, easy to use and not time consuming.
• Its alcohol free, a herbal product… check the ingredients list above
• It comes in handy when I want to sanitize my hands in between applying my makeup, good practice to touch your face with clean and sanitized hands
• It's soft on hands, contains ingredients that help prevent skin dryness
• Easily available everywhere
• Love the lemon fragrance

What I do not like about Himalaya PureHands Hand Sanitizer:
Nothing to point, I like everything about this product.

But want to conclude my post with this note: Hand sanitizers are not meant as a replacement for soap and water, but you can use it as a complementary habit. :)

Vicco Turmeric Skin Cream Review

Today, I'm going to review the Vicco turmeric skin care cream. As we all know, turmeric is widely used as a spice in Indian kitchen. It works as a natural antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, blood purifier and digestive system supporter. We also are aware of the ritual in traditional Indian wedding where Haldi (turmeric) is applied to bridegrooms, because the turmeric has health benefits of cleaning and toning skin, improving its color, increasing strength of the body etc.

Many women use it as packs or face masks on regular basis. Turmeric ointment, or a paste made from powdered turmeric can be used to treat cuts, scrapes, and skin conditions such as acne, diaper rash, and psoriasis. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

What the product claims:

Prevents and cures skin infections, inflammation, blemishes, wounds and other skin disorders. It soothes boils, pimples, acne and burns. It nourishes the skin, improves tonal value and makes it fair and beautiful.

Price: Rs. 83 for 30g

Ingredients: This product is formulation of 16% turmeric, 1.2% sandalwood oil in a non-grease base.

Why I purchased it?
I bought this from a recommendation of a friend of mine when I was in school. I started using this to reduce the scars I had got from pimples. Vicco turmeric has turmeric as its major ingredient; which was tempting to try this cream because of all medicinal values of turmeric.

How did I use it?
I used it at night. I would use a gentle cleanser, and I would apply this Turmeric cream at night. I did this for about two to three months. This is how it looks...

Pros:

• It was quite effective in reducing my pimple scars and making my skin tone even.
• It works well for me for minor skin infections, inflammation, blemishes, wounds etc.
• It has very soothing and cooling effect 
• Decent packagaing
• Only little cream is needed to cover full face
• Fits in my budget
• Easily available everywhere

Cons:

• The cream base may not be that good for very dry skin.
• I do not like the fragrance, it’s too strong for me 
• It gave me a yellowish tone , this may not be a con to some people
  
• Full ingredients list is not given on the pack

Would I recommend it?
Yes, I would recommend it to solve minor skin problems… its quite effective in reducing scars, blemishes and wounds. I wouldn't recommend it for dry skin.

Ratings: I would give 4.5 out 5... minus 0.5 for its strong smell :)

How to Lighten Dark Underarms: Home Remedies

I know how embarrassing it is to have dark underarms, nevermind the fact that you can not wear anything short sleeved or sleeveless.

Some of the causes of dark underarms could be 

• Friction of tight blouses and clothes that rub against the skin
• Excessive sweating can be the cause
• Infections caused by inadequate washing of the armpits
• Dead skin buildup
• Shaving
• Chemicals, alcohol and strong fragrance in deodorants

Home Remedies that you can try:

• Rub lemon slices on your armpits
• Use alum powder instead of deodorants
• After a shower rub some baking soda on your armpits
• Apply vitamin E oil on your armpits
• Try using sandalwood paste to fade the dark spots
• Potato is known to have natural bleaching properties. Apply thin sliced potato on the armpits daily and leave it for 15 minutes. This helps reduce pigmentation.
• Wash your armpits with coconut oil
• Make a paste using 1 tsp of lime juice, 1 tsp of cucumber juice and a pinch of turmeric powder. Apply it on your armpits and rinse after 20 minutes. This is a very effective remedy for dark underarms and so you should use it at least four times a week
• Use anti-fungal powder instead of antiperspirants. Wear cotton clothes instead. Do not shave your underarms, instead wax them regularly. It will not only remove hair but also the dead skin

It is best to avoid hair removal creams completely as these creams contain harsh chemicals that are meant to literally melt your hair. These chemicals can also have an adverse effect on your skin and invariably cause darkening of the skin when used for extended periods.

Delicate & Precious Kundan Jewellery

I love to wear Indian traditional jewelery, especially the Kundan jewelery which is also called as Kundankari. This traditional jewelery type belongs to the Indian historical past, widely used by the royal households of Indians. Kundan jewelry is extensively used by younger generation nowadays... I think Ekta's Kapoor's daily soaps gave new life to this jewelery style :)

You can even make your own fancy Kundankari set at home. Will come up with a tutorial to make jewelery sets soon.

Till then check out these designs, aren't they beautiful...

The typical materials used in making kundan jewelry set are gold and silver, natural semiprecious and precious stones, such as rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds. You can also make use of fancy materials to design your own less expensive set. This style of jewelery suits well with Indian traditional attire.

Take a look at this amazing pink set

One more amazing design.... As you can here the entire technique of Kundankari lies in the skillful setting of gems and stones in gold.

 Set with pearls... This is really delicate and beautiful.

Nail Art: Simple Polka Dots Design

This is a simple 6 Polka dots design.This DIY art doesn't take much time and looks amazing. Let's see how we can achieve this look in simple steps....

Step 1:
Apply a base coat prior to nail polish application to prevent your nails from yellowing and chipping. And let it dry completely.

Step2:
Apply 2 coats of your favorite polish. I am using a matte pink polish shade from Elle18.

Step 3:
I made six dots in this pattern with White Nail Polish from Elle18. 

Step 5:
Making sure the nail art design is completely dry, top it with your favorite Top Coat.

You are ready with a cute and simple design.
 

Keep Smiling :)

Pond's Moisturising Cold Cream

This is a great product that has been used as a makeup remover from many of my friends and ladies around the world. 

Let's see what's the product claims. Feel the difference from the very first time you use it. It provides: 

• Vital Beauty Oils which penetrate deep to provide complete nourishment.
• Natural Moisturizing Factors which help retain essential moisture to prevent dry line.

It has: 10 skin nutrients + moisturizers

How to use:

Gently massage your face and neck in circular upward motions, twice a day. For best results, clean first with Pond Face Wash and follow with moisturizing Pond's Cold Cream.

Price: 53 Rs. for 55ml.

My Experience:

I began using this at first because my mom always had this jar of Pond's Cold Cream to clean and moisturize her face and neck with. I continued using this everyday, I believe it’s been over 6 years now, I'm not sure. Anyways, I really like this cold cream it’s inexpensive, it removes all of my makeup and it softens my skin.  Best of all, it doesn't cause my skin to breakout... which is really really important for me. Usually I apply it at night, leave it for 10 mins and wash off with water and it will leave my skin amazingly clean, smooth and soft. And it's very affordable and 1 jar lasts me a long time.

What I do not like about the Pond's cold cream:

• It has a strong smell, it's not bad but it's strong and I wish it didn’t have it. May be a personal preference, others may like it.
• It makes my face look shiny and kind of greasy.

Would I purchase it again: Yes. Regardless of the two reasons I gave above, I highly recommend Ponds cold cream.  But I do think you can you use it as your moisturizer; unless, you love a shiny face during the day. Also please do a patch test before using on to your face if you have a super sensitive skin as this product might clog your pores.

Lotus Whiteglow Scrub Review

Lotus is one among my favorite brands. Skin whitening creams or formulas have never attracted me much but I thought of trying this one from Lotus range just because I had read some good reviews and was tempting to try it out. I picked the White Glow Face scrub since my Himalaya Apricot scrub had just got over and here is the review.

Directions as given on the Product:
Gently apply the scrub on moistened skin with brisk circular movements on the face and neck. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Use twice a week for brighter and luminous skin. Follow with WHITEGLOW Yogurt Radiance Mask for best result.
 

Price: Rs 145 for 100g

Ingredients List:
DM, Water, Glyceryl Monostearate, Glycerine, Isopropyl Myristate, Ployethylene granules, Avena Sativa Meal (Oatmeal) powder, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Light Liquid Paraffin, Yogurt powder, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, 2-Phenoxyethanol, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Alpha-Arbutin, Fragrance.

Swatch of Lotus Whiteglow Scrub

Pros of Lotus Whiteglow Scrub

• Active ingredients are all natural oatmeal and yogurt.
• Brightens the skin and gives a subtle glow which lasts for few days, removes dullness, dirt, impurities, whiteheads etc.
• I have sensitive skin, it didn't break me out.
• I like the oatmeal granules which is a change from the common apricot granules found in Himalaya Scrub I used to use.
• Product has a very mild and refreshing fragrance - I avoid strong fragrance.
• Price is quite reasonable.
• Easily available everywhere.

Cons of Lotus Whiteglow Scrub 

• Contains Parabens is definitely a downside I feel. 

Would I re-purchase: Yes, I will and am planning to try out few other products in the WHITEGLOW range as well.

My Rating would be: 4 out of 5

Baking Soda & Face Care

Who doesn't love a bargain? Who among us doesn't want to look as fabulous as possible without spending a fortune? I will share few tips which will help you save loads of time, money and of course your energy.

Today, will see how can we use baking soda in Face care. Baking soda is also called Sodium Bicarbonate or Bicarbonate of Soda. As we all know Baking soda is pure Sodium Bicarbonate, a naturally occurring white crystalline substance with a number of household uses.

Baking soda can do wonders for your face if used properly. Mainly you can use it as a rejuvenating Exfoliating Face Scrub to gently remove and slough-off all dead skin cells and promote new cell growth.

For Exfoliating: Add 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, and use as a gentle and exfoliating facial scrub. Rinse your face clean, don't leave it on your skin for long.

Facial Scrub: Mix baking soda with oatmeal in your blender; it makes a great facial scrub. You can use this paste to remove your blackheads effectively.

Shaving: Men with sensitive skin may find that a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 1 cup water makes a great pre-shave treatment or a soothing aftershave rinse.

Last word of Warning: Be careful not to get the paste in your eyes when applying to the face. If the skin becomes irritated, discontinue use of baking soda on your skin.

Detailed recipe for above mentioned tips will be posted in next post.