My Envy Box April 2016 Edition

Hello All!

Lets do a quick review of My Envy Box for the month of April 2016.

This month's box has been curated by model and Bollywood actress, Bipasha Basu. So lets take a quick look at what she has packed for us this month.

BBlunt Spotlight Hair Polish For Instant Shine
Product Price: INR 550/- for 150 ml
Sample Size in Box: Full Size

Roberto Cavalli Paradiso Azzuro Eau de Parfum

Product Price: INR 4900/- for 50 ml

Sample Size in Box: 1.2 ml

O3+ Milk Scrub

Product Price: INR 385/- for 50 gms

Sample Size in Bag: Full Size

Rene Furterer Paris Karite Leave-In Nourishing Cream

Product Price: Not mentioned

Sample Size in Box: 15 ml

Fran Wilson Mood Matcher Lipstick in Red

Product Price: INR 590/- for 3.5 gms

Product Size in Bag: Full Size

Value of Box: INR 1645/- and more. Great deal since the Box itself is for INR 850/-

Overall Verdict: I am quite impressed with this month's box. It is generous with its full sized products and the smaller samples are from luxury brands. Bipasha Basu and her The Label Life.com have done a good job. I definitely recommend ordering this box!


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

Product Review: Soultree Amrita Cleansing Milk

Hi Everyone!

Today I am reviewing a cleansing milk by Soultree, one of the many ayurvedic brands in India.

Product Price: INR 295/- for 120 ml

Product Claim: 

Organic Aloe and fresh Rose water made from the wild Indian Rose is blended with Ayurvedic extracts of organic Licorice to give your skin multiple benefits. It cools and heals skin, lightens sun tan and using it daily as a cleanser ensures an even skin tone with visibly reduced blemishes.

List of Ingredients: 

 My Take on the Product:

I love using ayurvedic products because the are usually free of harmful chemicals. However, there still are brands that include parabens as preservatives. Soultree claims that this product has neither this category of nasties, nor does it have any silicones.

The product comes in a transparent plastic bottle with a black screw-on cap. The bottle itself is covered with a brown paper label which has all the product details printed on it. The texture of the cleansing milk is like any other, a milky white, slightly runny composition. It has a nice fresh herby fragrance which I approve of.

The product spread well and easily on my skin and it felt nice to massage in this product into my skin. It cleaned up an entire day's make up and grime in a couple of minutes. It even cleaned up eye makeup effectively. Including all eye-shadow and mascara. However, I must mention here, that I always use washable mascara, never the waterproof ones. So I cannot say if this product works on waterproof mascara as well. The only problem is that it did sting the eyes a bit (you can see me squinting in the demo video).

The product leaves the skin feeling comfortably moisturised. But I did not feel any residue on my skin after I wiped it off with damp cotton pads. Though I do like to go over once with a face-wash as well. This I do since I have always had oily skin.

This cleansing milk is full of the goodness of aloe and rosewater, both proven to be excellent for skin care. I would definitely recommend it to all my beautiful friends and readers.

 

Pros:

1. Fuss free packaging.
2. Full of the goodness of aloevera and rosewater.
3. Pleasant herbal fragrance.
4. Free of parabens and silicones.
5. Did not cause any fresh breakouts (I had a bout just recently)
6. Cleansed every last bit of makeup and grime.
7. Cleansed eye make up effectively.
8. Very reasonably priced.
9. Ideal for beauties with normal to dry skin.

Cons:

1. Stings the eyes a bit.
2. Oily skinned beauties may have to follow up with a face wash.

Overall Verdict: 4.5/5. It loses marks only for the stinging! Highly recommended!

Have you used this product? Did you like it? What did you think of this review? Do let me know in the comments section below...

What's in My FabBag April 2016 Edition

Hello Everyone!

I love getting subscription beauty bags and boxes every month. There is always an element of surprise and who does not like  surprises now and then? Besides, it helps you decide whether you would like to continue using the product or give the product a miss. So how did the April FabBag surprise me?

This month we were given a choice between an eye or a lip make up product. I chose the lip product. Read on to find out more.

Style Fiesta Accessory

Product Price: INR 499/-

Catrice Longlasting Lip Pencil 070 I Got You Babe

Product Price: INR 300/-

Product Size in Bag: Full Size

Soultree Aloe and Rose Water with Skin Toning Licorice Cleanser

Product Price: INR 295 for 120 ml

Product Size in Bag: 30 ml

Rene Furterer Karite Intense Nourishing Mask

Product Price: INR 2200/- for 100 ml

Sample Size in Bag: 15 ml

O3+ Skin Whitening Mask

Product Price: INR 775/- for 50 gms

Sample Size in Bag: 10gms

Overall Impression: Sadly, I'm not impressed with this month's Bag. At best, I'm indifferent. We have had better curated bags in the past.The earrings were a disappointment. And the other products did not impress too much. Though the Rene Furterer Hair Mask is nice. 

Value of Bag: INR 1357.75/- . This seems good since I paid INR 499/- for the bag. Though the products could have been better.



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.

Devjani's Corner: Cook With Me: Beetroot Cutlets for the Kids' Lunch -Box!

Hello All!!

Photo courtesy: foodpunch.com 

It's been a while I posted a recipe . This time it's for mothers with fussy eaters and a constant dilemma what to give in their tiffins or snack time.


This recipe is nutritious, quick to make, can be stored in your freezer compartment and good looking too...things couldn't get better!!!


You will need

1. 3 potatoes medium sized
2. 1 medium sized beetroot
3. 100 gm paneer
4. 1/2 onion
5. 1 cup bread crumbs or fresh bread run through the mixie
6. A bit of ginger
7. Salt
8. Oil for shallow frying
9. Optional..green chilies, roasted coarsely ground pea nuts, grated fresh or dessicated coconut..though these do enhance the taste

Method

1. Boil the potatoes and beetroot ..remove from water immediately as the beetroot absorbs water

2.       Mash the potatoes , paneer and grate the beetroot.

3.        Add finely chopped ginger, 1/2 cup bread crumbs..save the rest for later,salt ,shredded coconut , peanuts,chopped onion and chillies

4.  Mix well and shape into cutlets. This measure makes 14 cutlets. Coat with bread crumbs to store or shallow fry immediately.

And it's ready to go....

Do give me your feed back.

Disclaimer: Photographs are mine unless otherwise indicated.

Devjani is a wife, mother, teacher, social worker, a gardening and cooking enthusiast, a globe trotter, a bundle of boundless energy and an extremely creative person. She loves to share easy recipes, ideas to keep kids creatively occupied, and a host of other tips and tricks around the home and beyond.