My Fabbag May 2015

Hello  Readers!

This month's Fabbag is based on the theme of Sun and Sand. The sand is ok, but I'm not looking that forward to the sun. These past few weeks have been so hot, so don't blame me if I try to escape the sun for a bit. The May 2015 Fabbag  definitely seeks to protect from the sun. So without further ado lets look at what Fabbag has sent me this month....

Be A Bombshell One Stick in Buck Wild (Champagne colour)

Price: INR 1300/- for 7 gms

Size in Bag: Full Size

Vana Vidhi Oriental Rice Paddy Face and Body Scrub

Price: INR 1599/- for 70 gms

Size in Bag: 70 gms

Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Day Screen Multi-Protection SPF 50/PA++++

Price: INR 2750/- for 50 ml

Size in Bag: 3 ml

This month's bag comes with a bonus scarf worth INR 500/-. I love scrubs, so I'm really keen to try the rice scrub out. The Be a Bombshell One Stick is interesting. Takes me back to the time when we'd use our lipsticks as blush and eyeshadow! I only wish the Clarins sample was slightly bigger.....

Watch out for the reviews..





FabBag is a monthly subscription service starting at INR 399/-. Each month's bag contains 3-5 products from national and international brands ranging from drugstore to luxury. Product sizes range from small sample sizes to full size. To join this service click HERE.

My Trip To Paris!!

Hey Everyone!

For a long time Paris has been my dream destination. My dream came true, when I visited this beautiful city mid-May this year as part of an exchange programme. I totally loved this adventure!! Here's sharing just a few highlights of my trip!

Product Review and Photos:Vichy Purete Thermale 3 in 1: One Step Cleansing Micellar Solution

Hey Everyone!

I was recently in France for a fortnight and was browsing through their pharmacies whenever I got the chance. One thing that I noted was this huge number of beauty and skin care brands which claim to be based on thermal spring water. Each of these brands, Vichy, Avene, Nuxe, Caudalie, Bioderma, La Roche-Posay, Thalgo, Klorane, Lierac etc. (some of which we are familiar with in India), each seem to have their own thermal spring! But what is truly common to all these brands is their micellar water cleansers.

I had seen these micellar cleansers in some online shopping sites,but had not paid much attention to them. But my trip to Paris opened my eyes to this product the French women swear by. I stayed with two families and in both their bathrooms I saw at least two brands of this product enjoying pride of place. One even had a micellar solution for kids!!

I promptly went out and bough myself a bottle of Vichy and Nuxe micellar solutions.  When I began to research what exactly is this micellar solution, why is it so effective and how does the skin benefit from its use, I came across a number of scientific articles which answered my questions, but I gave up science after class 10 for a reason. I then came across this article in the UK edition of Marie Claire which explained in layman's terms this entire phenomenon. You can read this article HERE.

Back to my review...

Product Price: € 12.95 (Approx: INR 910/-) for 400ml. Would be more expensive in India due to import duty etc. (Its about INR 990/- for 200 ml on various online stores) 

Product Photos:

Product Description:

 Triple action Micellar Solution that is kind to sensitive skin.For women with sensitive eyes and skin. Micellar technology captures impurities like a magnet to perfectly clean and remove make-up from sensitive skin without rubbing or rinsing. 
Gently cleansed, sensitive skin is perfectly clean with no discomfort or tightness. 
The non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic formula has been tested under dermatological and ophthalmological control. Formulated for sensitive skin and eyes with physiological pH. 
Enriched with Vichy Thermal Spa Water, soothing, fortifying and regenerating.The texture is kind to your sensitive skin and gently eliminates impurities and all traces of make-up. With no need to rinse off, this treatment limits rubbing for gentle make-up removal.

Instuctions of Use and List of Ingredients:

My Take on the Product:

TheVichy 3 in 1 Micellar Solution comes in a transparent plastic bottle with the brand and product name peinted in silver. the 400 ml bottle comes with a pump dispenser and the 200ml bottle comes with a flip top cap. I have now been using this product for two weeks now. Its a clear water like product. I need only two cotton pads to cleanse my entire face, eyes and lips of all makeup. Even on days I'm wearing no makeup, I use it to clean up my face before going to sleep.

Just two pumps are required to wet the cotton. I just need to swipe my face 3-4 times. You can see the immediate cleansing action without too much rubbing and tugging. There is no need to rinse it off and no need for a face wash either. Most makeup cleansers that I have used need to be followed up with a face wash. Not this one. It prevents the skin from being stripped of moisture and essential oils.

It has a light herbal fragrance, which I like. It does not dry out the skin. This I tested in Paris itself where it was spring and quite cold with very low humidity. However, after the cleansing, My skin does not feel sqeeky. It feels as if there is a thin film of something on my face. Not that it is uncomfortable, but just a feeling. However, I disappears completely when I apply my night care serum. I do also get a slight sting in my eyes when using this product, but it disappears in a minute

I have not had any adverse reactions since using this product. And I do have sensitive skin. So here it fulfils its promise of being specially formulated for sensitive skin. The product is also paraben free. So that's a great plus!

All grimy and ready to clean off.

Side 1 of first cotton pad.

Side 2 of first cotton pad.

Side 1 of second cotton pad.

After Cleansing

Pros:

1. Sturdy packaging
2. Paraben free
3. Contains therma spring water, known to be beneficial for skin
4. Cleans effectively 
5. No vigorous rubbing  required
6. Does not have need to be rinsed or followed with a face wash
7. Gentle on eyes and lips
8. Does not dry the skin
9. Has a pleasant herbal fragrance
10. Specially formulated for sensitive skin.

Cons:

1. Can work out to be quite expensive in India
2. Leaves a filmy feeling on the skin, not a deal breaker, though.
3. May sting your eyes slightly.

Overall verdict: 4.8. Marks lost only due to the filmy layer, though my guess is that it might actually be good for my skin..

Have you used this product? What did you think about it? Did you find this review helpful? Let me know in the comments section below.

Think and Stay Beautiful!!

Product Review, Swatches and Photos: Lakme 9 to 5 Insta Light Instant Glow Creme (With Sunscreen)

Hey Everyone!

Today I'm going to do a quick review of a new product launched by Lakme called Insta Light Instant Glow Creme (With Sunscreen), under the 9 to 5 banner.

Product Price: INR 149/- for 40 gms of product 

Product Photos:

List of Ingredients:

How to Apply: 

My Thoughts on the Product:

Lakme has been coming out with new products quite regularly and the latest is the Insta Light Instant Glow Creme (With Sunscreen). Its a product pitched for Indian summers. It is said to contain pearl and mineral powders to give a luminous glow to the skin. It does not claim to hide blemishes or even out the skin tone.

The product comes in a silver coloured, plastic, soft tube with pink accents. The tube comes packed in  cardboard box in the same colour coordinates.

The product itself is is pale pink in colour. The texture is quite creamy but does not feel oily. It has a floral scent which disappears after a while. I applied it straight after cleansing my face. I could immediately feel a mattifying effect on my skin. But it was not uncomfortable. I could definitely see a radiance on my face on application, from the pearl and mineral powders. This is not really a product for ladies with dry skin. However, if you prime your face with some moisturiser before applying this creme, it should work. It works on my combination to oily skin.

The product did not hide any blemishes or marks. To be fair, it does not claim to do so. However, it did bring a noticeable glow on my face. The effect lasted for about 3 hrs outside of an AC. It worked on my dusky complexion (MAC NC 43), but I'm not sure sure how it will work on darker skin tones.

The product package mentiones sunscreen, but does not give any SPF number or PA+ signage. So I'm not entirely sure how long one could wear it in the sun without getting a tan.

It is a very reasonably priced product and at this price point, I think its a great product for school and college goers, however, I will suggest you wear a good sunscreen underneath, when going out.

Before Application

Applying only on the right side of the face

Discernible difference between the left (no product) and right (with product)

Side with product

Side without product

Pros:

1. Reasonable price
2. Fuss-free packaging
3. Does as promised, gives a mild glow to the skin
4. Suitable for oily skinned beauties
5. Did not leave a white cast on my skin
6. Has Sunscreen
7. Does not make tall claims
8. Great product for students on a budget.

Cons:

1. Not sure how it will work on darker skin tones.
2. Does not mention SPF or PA+ factors
3. Mainly meant for oily skin. May be uncomfortable on dry skin

Overall Score: 4/5. Within this price point, I think Lakme has done a good job.  The only reason why I have given it -1 is because it does not mention the SPF/PA+.

Did you find this review helpful? Have you used this product? What did you think? Please leave your comments in the comments section below.

Till next time......

Think and Stay Beautiful!!