What's in My FabBag: February 2016 Edition

Hi Everyone!

February being the month of love, FabBag has planned a valentine's bag this time round. The glossy red pouch goes with the theme. This month's bag has 6 products of which 3 are full sized packs. However, I did miss the tiny magazine, Fab Post with this Bag. I saw the reviews and pictures by other bloggers, and no one else seems to have received one either! I really miss it because it had all the details of the products featured for the month, discount codes and various beauty tricks and tips.

Team FabBag, please bring back Fab Post!

Watch the video below for further thoughts...

Hikari Cosmetics Blush in Harvest

Product Price: INR 1000/-

Sample Size in Bag: Full Size

Fashionography Earrings

Product Price: N.A.

Exactly same as last month's bag, left me with a couple of ???

Bioderma Photoderm Mat Sunscreen SPF 30

Product Price: INR 1330/- for 40 ml

Sample Size on Bag: 5ml

Nyassa Foaming Face Scrub - Oceana

Product Price: INR 600/- for 200 gm

Sample size in Bag: 30 gms

Chamki Nail Polish in Begum

Product Price: INR 250/- for 11 ml

Sample Size in Bag: Full Size

Just Herbs Marigold Mango Lip Contour Balm

Product price: INR 345/- for 8 gms

Sample Size in Bag: Full Size

Overall Verdict: I liked 4 out of the 6 products sent this month, so it isn't that bad. The Blush , scrub and the lip balm are great. The Bioderma sunscreen along with these products did offset the disappointment with the nail polish and the repeat earring.

Value of this Bag: INR 1770/- (approx.) as against my cost of INR 416/- (I have an annual subscription)

FabBag is a monthly subscription service starting at INR 499/-. 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 Envy Box February 2016 Edition.

Hello Everyone!

Its that time of the month again when we do a quick round-up of My Envy Box beauty subscription. This month My Envy Box has joined hands with Forest Essentials, one of India's premier luxury ayurvedic brands. Forest Essentials celebrates its 15th Anniversary this month, so this month's Envy Box has exclusively Forest Essential products!

In October, last year, My Envy Box had come in for a lot of flack for a very poorly curated box. Since then the team has tried to win back its loyal customers. This month, however, they have pulled the proverbial rabbit out of their collective hats!! They are back in the game!!

Total value of the Box: INR 2215/- . A wow deal, considering you can buy this box for INR 850/-!

My faith in My Envy Box has been restored!

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

Shuchi's Colours (Cook With Me): Arty Salad

Hello Everyone!

Winter brings a lot of colourful vegetables to our table. So as winter is preparing to bid us goodbye, lets quickly rustle up a really easy to make. It is not only packed with nutrients, but it it really tasty too!!

So let's dive straight in...

Ingredients:
1.  Apple chopped into sticks
2.  Boiled beetroot ,
3. Chopped tomatoes 

4. Cottage cheese chopped into sticks

5. Broccoli, baby corn, french beans and carrots chopped and par boiled.

6. Dry fruits as in almonds, walnut and cashew nuts

7. Juice of half a lemon, 
8.  Salt, 
9.  Pepper 

10. Honey 

11. lots of love . 💕. 

Method:

1.  Mix lemon , salt , pepper and honey in par boiled vegetables, toss in tomatoes,apple, beetroot and cottage cheese. 
2.  Add dry fruit nuts. 
3.  Ready to eat , tastes better cooled.

Bon Appetit! 

About The Author

Shuchi Khanna is a well known name on the Indian art scene. She has exhibited her paintings in an number of galleries including the Rashtrapati Bhawan. She has won numerous awards, yet remains a warm and friendly person, with great enthusiasm for life! She is a great cook too. You can view her paintings on her website: www.shuchikhanna.com 

Product Review: Skin Yoga Oats and Roses Facewash

Hey Everyone!

Lets do a quick review of a nice skin-friendly product. For the longest time busy women like us have been forced to use harmful chemical laden skin products. We just do not have the time, like our mothers and grandmothers to make and use home-made, skin loving products. However,now a number of brands are coming up with hand pound/hand - made products free of chemical preservatives, perfumes et al.

Skin Yoga is one such brand started by three sisters to bring to people the goodness of nature. To read more about that, head HERE

One of the products from the Skin Yoga stables is the Oats and Roses Facewash. I received this product sample in one of My Envy Boxes.

Product Price: INR 1450/- for 50gms

Company Claim:

For Toning and Cleansing

Rose petals are considered to be a natural toner and an excellent sunblock. Oats contain natural cleansers that remove dirt and oil from the pores without causing irritation. This vitamin C enriched combination with real rose petals will leave your skin feeling protected, clean and toned

Directions For Daily Face Wash

Take approximately 1 tsp of the powder in cupped hand. Add few drops of water to make a paste. Apply to face and massage gently into skin. Rinse thoroughly.

Dry 

My Take on the Product: 

Skin Yoga Oats and Roses Facewash contains exactly that, powdered oats and dried and crushed rose petals. They are not too finely milled and swell when mixed with water. Once rubbed on the skin, its acts like a really soft and gentle scrub. The product definitely cleanses the regular grime, but is not effective on makeup. I love the fact that this product is free of any preservatives, parabens and other such nasties. 

I love using this natural cleanser every morning. Rubbing the product on my skin wakes me up. It does not leave my skin feeling dry and stretchy. In fact it leaves a pleasant light, glowy film on the skin. Oats has its own natural oils which, when rubbed on the skin, transfers on and moisturises the skin. Dry skinned beauties might still need moisturising,but oily skinned ones may not need any. 

However, the product is on the pricier side at INR 1450/- for 50 gms. If you do have the time, you can sun-dry rose petals, crush them and powder some rolled oats and mix both to make your own cleanser. 

On mixing with water

Pros: 

1. All natural.
2. Soft particles
3. Gently cleanses
4. Can be used as daily scrub.
5. Free of Parabens and other harmful chemicals
6. Has its own natural oils, oily skin may not need any extra moisturiser.

Cons:

1. Ineffective against makeup
2. Quite Expensive.

Overall Verdict: 4/5 A really nice product that can be used as a daily scrub. I am really enjoying using it. Will I buy this product? I'm not sure I want to buy an expensive product, but I would love to receive it as a gift! ;D

You can buy this product on Nykaa or Skin Yoga

Think and Stay Beautiful

Product Review: Za Total Hydration Face Wash

Hi Everyone!

Let's do a quick review of a lovely face wash by Za. Now, Za is a line of products developed by Shiseido, a Japanese beauty care brand. Shiseido is one of the oldest personal care brands in the world. Za is a budget range that was launched a sometime in the middle of 2015 in India.

Product Price: INR 299/- for 100gms of product

List of Ingredients:

Product Claim:

• A Refreshing cleansing foam that polishes the skin to form a clear complexion.
• Cleanses impurities while retaining vital moisture for clear skin
• Removes excess sebum and pore-clogging impurities
• Fine textured, rich foam gently covers the skin while cleansing.

My Take on the Product:

Za Total Hydration Face Wash comes in a baby pink, plastic squeeze tube. It has a flip-top cap which I like since it is leak-proof. The product has a creamy texture and contains these tiny blue particles. They are not very abrasive and are far too gentle to be exfoliating. It has a very gentle, nearly imperceptible fragrance. 

True to promise, the product foams up really well and a tiny bit goes a long way. Just take a pea-sized amount add a few drops of water and rub your hands together for a rich lather. For the Japanese its a complete no-no to be rubbing your facial skin directly with your fingers. The idea is to gently massage the foam on the skin. 

The face wash is quite gentle yet takes off all the grime that collects on the face. However, it is not entirely effective when it comes to waterproof makeup. So if I have that on, I first remove the makeup with relevant cleansers and then follow it up with this Za face wash.

The product does not leave my skin dry, but it does feel a wee bit stretchy if I do not follow up with a moisturiser. I have oily skin with a few dry patches, so I wonder how this product will fare on dry-skinned beauties. 

What I like best about this face wash, is that it does not have any of the regular nasties like parabens or SLS. So that's a huge plus for me.

Interesting update: Za products were easily available in online stores like nykaa.com and fabbag.com, but as I was writing out this post I realised, they weren't available here anymore. However, amazon.com and flipkart.com did seem to have them. I wonder....

Pros:

1. Convenient, spill proof packaging
2. Lightly scented
3. Creamy texture.
4. Non-abrasive cleansing particles.
5. High foam
6. Little product goes a long way.
7. Takes off daily grime.
8. Did not strip my skin of moisture.
9. No Parabens and SLS.
10. Reasonable price point.

Cons: 

1. Not very effective on water-proof/long-lasting makeup.
2. Can dry out already dry skin.
3. Was available easily online, but not anymore.

Overall Verdict: 4.75/5 

I have loved using Za Total Hydration Face Wash and am looking to buy again once I use up the product.

Have you used this product? How did it fare on you? Let me know in the comments section below...

Think and Stay Beautiful!