Saturday 21 November 2015

Lazy Girl's Guide to Beauty in the Kitchen: Milk

Hello Readers!

When I had first started out on this blog, it was going to be about, well beauty in your kitchen. But as blogs are, it took on a life of its own. So today, I decided to revisit my original plan for the blog.  

Last week I talked about my lazy home facial. Today, I'll talk about a lazier facial care.



Milk is known to be a great cleanser. Cleopatra was known to bathe in milk. There are two ways to use this as a cleanser. You may choose whatever works for you. 

  1. Take about 2 tablespoons of milk in a bowl and dip a piece of stale bread or roti (if you are from the sub-continent) and rub the bread on your face gently till it crumbles. Wash of with splashes of water.  
  2. Take 2-3 tablespoons of milk in a bowl and add a few drops of lemon juice. wait a minute till the milk begins to curdle and separates a bit. Dip a piece of cotton in this and spread the separated milk on your face. Wait for 2-5 minutes and wash off with a splash of water. 



I have used it both ways with great benefits to my skin. But they work better for me in winters when my skin is drier. If you have very dry skin, you may use full milk or even milk cream.

However, do be careful, since milk has fats, it may trigger a breakout. If it does, stop using it. As for me, I actually get fewer pimples when I use milk as a cleanser. So different people react differently to it. But do give it a try. If it works for you, you may as well forget those expensive cleansers that burn a serious hole in your pocket.

So how does it work?

Water constitutes around 85% of milk and this contributes to its hydrating properties. Like a well-balanced moisturiser, milk not only has water but also fats that provide natural moisturising factors. The protein content, vitamin and minerals contribute to the anti-ageing properties of milk. Milk acts as excellent exfoliator because it contains enzymes like lipase, proteases and lacto-peroxidase that help in shedding of dead skin cells.It can help fast healing of sun-burns and even lighten dark spots and pigmentation. (Reference)

So feel free to add milk to your face packs as well to bump up the benefits to your skin! 

Hope this was helpful...

Think and Stay Beautiful!

Disclaimer: Lazy girl took photos off the net. They are not mine..

Tuesday 17 November 2015

My Envy Box: November 2015 Edition

Hello All!!

I got the November 2015 Edition of My Envy Box yesterday. To be honest, I was not entirely happy about the curation this month. Read on the know why....

This month's box is a light pista green in colour with a very pretty floral graphic on the lid.






Nimai Handcrafted Bracelet
Honestly, I don't really like jewellery in beauty boxes. They tend to be of pretty poor quality and not really to my taste. So this product did not make me too happy.



Derma Glow Radiance Perfecting Treatment
Product Price: INR 990/- for 10 ml
Sample Size in Box: 10 ml

Curious...... the accompanying card mentions that this is part of the last batch of DermaGlow products coming into India... why last batch? Is the brand winding down? However, initial application seems promising. Let's see how it works out.....

I tried locating the product on the website (myenvybox.com) but it isn't there..


Bioderma Sensibio H2O
Product Price: INR 599/- on Amazon.in and Nykaa.com ; INR 550/- on Flipkart.com and 
Sample Size in Bag: 10x3=30ml

Bioderma is a really great brand and I have tried their foaming gel earlier and was saw really positive results. I have tried micellar cleansers by Vichy and Nuxe and I'm sure Bioderma Sensibio H2O will fare well, but I would have really liked a larger sized sample. Again, this product is not available on the website at this time.....




Chloe Eau de Toilette
Product Price: INR 4900/-
Sample Size in Box: 1.2 ml

This is a lovely perfume that smells of roses. I had received this as a sample when I had bought a perfume at an airport duty free counter. I loved it then, and am not complaining about this sample.


Wella SP Luxe Oil Reconstructive Elixir
Product Price: INR 1,250/- for 30 ml on Amazon.com; INR2099/- on Paytm and INR 1250/- on eBay.in
Sample Size in Box: 2x2=4ml

This product is also currently unavailable on the website.

I'm wondering, most beauty subscriptions offer 10-20% discounts on full size products whose samples they curate in the current month. In this My Envy Box disappoints. The website offers a flat INR 100/- off on purchases. The accompanying card in the Box says a gift pack worth INR 3000/- will be given for a bill if INR 5000/- or above.

Overall Verdict: On the whole disappointing.. both in terms of curation, lack of any full sized product, lack of availability of a number of featured products on own website and lack of product specific discounts. Also the Card does not mention prices of the full sized products. So all in all seems like a very carelessly thrown together box, falling far short of its promise. I saw some other reviews and everyone seems to be feeling quite let down!

Team My Envy Box, you can do better!!

My Envy Box is a subscription service which brings you 5 trial sized beauty products (typically 2ml-10ml) from the top international luxury and prestige brands delivered to your door step every month. Priced at INR 850/- for a month, it may be subscribed for 3, 6, or 12 months. You may subscribe to this service HERE




Saturday 14 November 2015

Lazy Girl's Guide to a Weekly Home Facial

Hey Everyone!!

I haven't done a skin care post in a long while. I think, mainly because I'm guilty of being pretty lazy about regular skin care myself.....



However, what I'm about to share with you is something I like to do on a regular basis, though I do get lazier sometimes and miss a couple of times....

Ok, here goes...

Step 1: Cleansing

Use your favourite face cleanser or face wash to get all the make up and grime out. Now that winters are approaching, I like to use the Vichy Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Solution, its less drying. Click HERE for  detailed review.

Vichy Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Solution


Step 2: Scrub

The second step is to scrub your facial skin. Take care not to rub you skin too hard. A light hand and 5 minutes is all you need. Scrubbing is said to remove the layer of dead skin cells from the surface and allows newer cells to emerge. It apparently helps in faster regeneration of skin cells.

 Currently I'm loving Nature's Co.'s Coffee Face Scrub. The lovely aroma of coffee feels really warm and wintery.

Wash off the scrub when you are done. Do not towel dry your face yet.



Step 3: Massage
This is an extra step I do in dry, winter months. Take a bit of your favourite massage cream and apply over your wet facial skin. Massage with a light hand till you feel the cream disappearing into your skin. I am using the Just Herbs Herbal Nourishing Massage Cream. You may use the Chizu Saeki methos of facial massage  as seen here:


Just Herbs Herbal Nourishing Massage Cream


Step 4: Face Pack
This step is about Settling it all in with a mace mask or pack. It is said that during the first three steps opens up the pores of the skin, the face pack is supposed to bring your pores back to their normal size/shape. For this step I'm currently using the SeaSoul Dead Sea Facial Mud Mask. Its a clay pack which helps soak up the excess oils that's been pumped into the skin during the facial massage. wash it off after about 15 minutes of sitting on your skin. Do not let a clay based mask dry completely on your skin.




Step 5: Toner

Toning is supposed to sooth the skin after the cleansing process. I have also seen that products seem to sink into my skin better when I spritz on some toner before I moisturize. I do not like to wipe my face with a toner. I use a spray bottle to spritz some on and wait a minute or two before the next step. Currently I am using the Oriflame Pure Nature Soothing Toner with Aloe Vera and Arnica extracts




Step 6: Moisturize
The final step is moisturizing. Whether your skin is dry or oily or combination, we all need to moisturize. Since its drier weather now, I am using Naked Potion Lotion by Lisa Haydon. Click here for a detailed review of the product. I just love how it just sinks into my skin and maks it feel so good.


Well that's my lazy girls guide for now. Hope you liked it. 

Think and Stay Beautiful!

Disclaimer: None of the above photographs are mine. Guess I was lazy about composing the shots, so just got some stock images off the net...

Wednesday 11 November 2015

LOTD: Fresh and Glowing Make-Up for a Relaxed Diwali at Home

Hello All!!

Wish you and your loved ones a Very Happy Diwali!


After a hectic round of pre-Diwali parties and a massive cleaning spree at home, I thought to do a very simple glowy look to celebrate Diwali with the family. Since my girls have decided to go cracker free this Diwali, I don't have to compete with any sparklers. Besides we are not expecting too many guests this time round. Hence the effort to keep it basic.









Products used for this Look:

  1. Polaar Icy Magic Instant Skin perfector (as primer)
  2. Olivia Pan stick Foundation in Shade 3
  3. Lollipops Paris Concealer in Shade Biscuit (24)
  4. Maybelline New York Clear Glow All in One Compact Powder in 02 Nude Beige (only to set the concealer)
  5. Deborah Milano 24 Ore Velvet Eye Shadow (for contouring ;D)
  6. City Color Blush in Coral
  7. Revlon Highlighting Palette in 020 Rose Glow
  8. Maybelline New York The Colossal Liner in Black
  9. Himalaya Kajal
  10. Lakme Eyeconic Kajal in Brown (to lightly define and fill in my brows)
  11. Maybelline New York Hyper Curl Volum Express Mascara in Black
  12. Laqa & Co. Fat Lip Pencil in Siren Song

I decided on a winged eyeliner since I wear glasses at home. In keeping with the festive spirit,I chose a red lipstick with a yellow undertone. 

Hope you liked this look.

Have a great and safe Diwali!

Think and Stay Beautiful!


Tuesday 10 November 2015

What's In My FabBag: November 2015 Edition

Hey All!

I got my November FabBag two days a go and here's what I got this month.....





Lollipops Paris Matte Concealerin Biscuit
Product Price: INR 800/- for 5.5 ml
 Sample size in Bag: Full Size

Its a nice concealer with decent coverage. But I was just wondering, Fabbag has sent me 2 concealers in 3 months... hmm..


Kama Ayurveda Pure Rose Water
Product Price: INR 250/- for 50 ml
Sample Size in Bag:  Full Size

FabBag gave its subscribers a choice for this option. One could chose from lipsticks, concealers and a few other products.I decided to select this product since I love spritzing m face with rose water to settle my make-up and generally freshening up in the summer months. Its something I love!


Ayorma Fairness and Cell Renew Night Cream
Product Price: INR 649/- for 50 gms
 Sample Size in Bag: 15 gms

The cream smells a lot like Boroline and a hint of herbs, quite pleasant in fact. As the colder weather is setting in I can feel my skin get dryer. So, I'm looking forward to trying this cream. Watch out for the review...


SeaSoul Body Massage Candle
Product Price: INR 300/- for 50 ml
Sample Size in Bag: Full Size

Now this is a really interesting product. I'm keen to try this out right away. But I'm going to hold out a bit. Why? Well I have  rural visit coming up with my students. These field trips end up being physically demanding and stressful. So I'm going to use it after I return. Really put the product to the test. We'll see how it measures up!

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.

Think and Stay Beautiful!


Sunday 8 November 2015

Empties Post: October 2015

Hey Everyone!

Delayed, but here it is! The Empties Post for October.


Olay Total Effects 7-IN-1 Anti Ageing Serum was quite disappointing. It really did not do anything for me. So my search for a good serum is still on.




Vaseline Intensive Care Lip Care has been a staple in my vanity for years. And as far as I can see, it will remain so fr years to come.


Garnier Pure Pimple Control Pen is the second tube I've finished. It is really effective in quickly drying up the pesky zits. Have bought my third already!


Faces Vanishing Act Concealer Stick is a really nice, creamy concealer! It gives good coverage and does not melt in hot and humid conditions. I would have bought another if I did not have at least 3 more concealers waiting in my vanity.

 
Oriflame Divine Antiperspirant Roll-On has a lovely understated floral fragrance, just as I like it. Again, would have bough another one of these if there weren't others waiting for me.

That is it for this edition... Can see my dresser beginning to clear up some more...

Think and Stay Beautiful!