Red Wine + Honey Skin Facial {DIY}

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I have always wondered how it would be to apply exotic ingredients to skin. But, always fail to experience it when it really comes to them. Because I love to eat those fruits than apply them on the face! So, when it came to using red wine, I made sure that I would experience it. So, let us check out how this DIY turned out!!

Before that, lets talk a bit about red wine. We know it is made from grapes which are basically acidic and rich in Vitamin C and loaded with anti-oxidants. So, the wine, Refosco dal Peduncolo Russo (every wine has its own properties), we have today is quite deep in color and high in acidity. Since it is highly acidic, it is good for acne prone skin and drying as well. So, let us check out how it fares for us.

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Red Wine DIY Facial for Anti-aging skin care @ http://goo.gl/iJcYGX via @skyiseternal #perfectskincareforyou
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Ingredients

• 1tbsp red wine

• 1tbsp honey (to combat dryness)

Method

• Wash your face. Scrub it, if necessary. Steam your face, neck and décolletage for 5 minutes to open the pores. 

• Take the mixture of wine and honey and massage your face with it the way it is done during a facial. You can get your sister or best friend to do it as well!! 

• Since there is honey, the mix tends to get sticky so keep the steamer on in the interims so that the liquid gets penetrated into the skin and does not dry up.

• Keep massaging for 30 minutes in this way. Cover your neck and décolletage as well. Do not forget your ears and lips!! 

• You can wash it off immediately or let it sit on your skin for as long as you can as a mask. Whatever you do, wash off with cold water and apply moisturiser.

Results

There would not be an immediate glow on the face! But, the skin definitely looks plumpier and firmer. And, it helps with making the skin soft and smooth. The lines are less visible. Basically, you can say the anti-aging effects of the red wine shows up. And, the glow comes later on. So, I loved it and now it is your turn!

Have you ever tried red wine DIY? How did you like it? Or, would you like to try it out?

Other DIY's to try out:
Green Tea Hair Spray
Homemade Vanilla Oil
Henna Gloss Recipe

Are you making the same mistakes as I do while exfoliating your face? {Skin Care}

photo credit: FoundryParkInn via photopin cc

So, now that winters are almost in full swing, hopefully you are doing what I am doing these winters! And, then, now my skin is absolutely perfect. But, then, I suddenly noticed my entire face is not so soft! In fact, one of my readers also sent out the same query. Check out!

I use fair n lovely face wash I also apply the same cream after my wash....n when I touch my skin honestly I do not feel anything like cracking and all...I sense it smooth...but at the same time when I touch the corner part of my nose I feel it rough n its like skin coming out! What should I do?

So, now you would have already understood what I mean to say in this post. So, let us see if we really exfoliate our face properly!! And, discuss what are the proper exfoliation methods. Lets start.

What is the best time to Exfoliate?

So, this is the first thing I would like to clear. Now, my favorite time is the night time. Because, a proper exfoliation in the night helps the moisturizer to soak in better. Also, exfoliating in the night avoids the fresh skin to get exposed to the morning sun! 

Where as, the morning time is a better time. Because, the skin rejuvenates in the night and in the morning, your face has a layer of dead skin which is ready for removal. But, then, the fresh skin is exposed to the harsher sun light and might tan unless one is diligent in applying sunscreen. Btw, exfoliating in the morning also helps the makeup go on better. 

So, you can decide which is the best time for you! 

What to use for Exfoliation?

So, what is your favorite ingredient for exfoliating your skin? For me, it is sugar and salt!! Well, is it really correct for my skin type? Ok, so sugar is an all-rounder when it comes to exfoliation and gives a smooth and perfect skin. For dry skin, it is quite hydrating and nourishing.

But, for oily skin, salt is an absolute must. Salt absorbs the oil and provides the minerals which sugar can not. It also detoxifies the skin which is why even people with dry skin should use salt once in a while for exfoliation. Do check out my homemade DIY body polishing scrub!

Never Exfoliate on Dry or even Damp Skin!!

Have you ever done this, anywhere on your body? Like scrubbing the dead skin on your heels or even nails? If yes, DO NOT ever repeat it. It is extremely harmful for your skin and you can end up injuring yourself. Exfoliate only completely clean and dripping wet, preferably soaked with warm water so that the pores are open, skin.

Don't forget these areas during exfoliation!

And, then, we take the scrub and apply it to the face. Start from the forehead and proceed to the cheeks in light circular motions. Be gentle and have a light hand. And, DO NOT forget these areas -  

• crevices around the nose where it generally gets dry and skin peels off - extend your nose as if you are removing blackheads and scrub the crevices thoroughly!
• corners of the lips - extend your mouth like you are applying the lipstick and scrub off the corners.
• inner curve below the lower lip and above the chin - extend the lower lip over the lower jaw to make the curve flat and scrub it
  
• on and behind the ears
• lips - press your lips tightly to avoid tasting the scrub :P, and, finally 
• neck lines - extend your neck like a giraffe and giving it a thorough scrub. Moisturise in the same way!!   

photo credit: FoundryParkInn via photopin cc

Leave the scrub on for sometime to help it soak into the Skin

So, now that you have scrubbed your face, leave it on for sometime while you finish washing or scrubbing yourself. That will make the skin even more softer and helps the active ingredients of the scrub to soak into the skin.

And, finally, wash off with luke warm water and last rinse should be cold water. Do NOT forget to Moisturize. Just because your skin is feeling awesome does not mean you forgo the skin care routine. So, do not forget to tone and moisturize your skin with your favorite oil or serum.  

And, now, we have one more thing!

Type of Skin and Frequency

Now, this has been said time and again that oily skin should not be exfoliated as often as dry skin. For one, oily skin if exfoliated regularly produces more oil causing more oiliness. And, dry skin accumulates more dead skin which needs to be removed regularly for a fresh and glowing look. So, twice a week is enough for oily skin and for dry skin, thrice a week of exfoliation is enough.  

So, what all steps do you follow? Do you have any exfoliation tips!!

Related Posts:
Dry Skin Causes and how to heal it?
Dry or Dehydrated; Moisturized or Hydrated!!
Excess Body Heat and Acne

Loving It / Using It Vol. 13 - Vaadi Herbals Instaglow Almond & Honey Face Pack

A while back I was sent out their clay based face pack and now we have this. I prefer this over the other one because this an apt product for winters. As the name suggests, the product is creamy and nourishing and I totally love to use it :)

Loving / Using It : Using It

• Price: Rs 90 for 120 gms  

• Availability. generally available on online stores like flipkart, nykaa. Vaadiherbals.com is the existing brand website as well. 

• Packaging. It comes in a tube so easy to squeeze out and hygienic as well. It is travel-friendly too.    

• Type of Skin. It is amazing for dry skin, not so much for combination or oily!
  

• Easy to Apply. If I can say that the above-mentioned face pack was easy to apply, this goes on like a dream. The consistency is that of a mousse. 

• Results. It leaves my face looking soft and glowing. The best part of the product is it can be used everyday. 

• Ingredient List not specified. Like the cuticle oil, the ingredient list is missing.    

Overall Verdict

One of the really good face packs I have used in a long time so definitely, yes!!

Have you tried out the product? Did you like it? 

Other products from Vaadi Herbals:

Loving It / Using It Vol. 10 - Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot

Loving / Using It Vol. 5 - Vaadi Herbals Nails and Cuticle Oil

Vaadi Herbals Amla Thanda (Cool) Tail (Oil)

pH level and Citrus Fruits {Skin Care}

Citrus Fruits are one of the most loved fruits for DIY because they lend freshness and cleanse the skin really well. But, they are also very harsh on the skin because of their acidity so one should use them in moderation and also, they make the skin photosensitive. 

So, why should we really bother ourselves with these fruits? Well, because not all citrus fruits have the same level of acidity. Some are gentler on skin and can be used by sensitive skins as well. pH level is the measure of acidity of the fruit. Any chemical is either acidic or alkaline in nature and generally, fruits are acidic.

Some are alkaline as well. But, right now, we are talking about citrus fruits and they are acidic so let us look at the pH values of some widely available fruits to know which can be used safely on skin and which should be avoided. Though, lemon is the most loved citrus fruit. 

Most Acidic Fruits

Tangerine - 3.90, Grapefruit - 3.38, Lime - 2.40, Lemon - 2.30

Least Acidic Fruits

Mandarin - 11.50, Orange - 4.35, Kumquat - 3.95

Also, remember that as the fruit ages, its acidity decreases.(Source)

Now, the pH level of the skin around 5.4 so if you use orange instead of lemon, its more gentle on skin. Even I was surprised to know that mandarin is alkaline and not acidic. When I was writing this post, I was reminded that I prefer tomatoes to lemon so checked its pH value as well. 

pH value of fresh tomato ranges between 4.3 and 4.9 (source). In fact, potato is also considered to be great for skin. Its pH value lies between 5 and 6.5 which is relatively very less acidic and more gentle on skin. So, you can now customize your home remedies according to the pH levels of the ingredients :)

Kama Ayurveda Rose Jasmine Bath & Body Oil {Product Review}

So, this was on my last loving it list! And, I am really missing this product. It has been over for a month now and I just realized that I have not yet reviewed it. So, here I am gonna review about the product. Please bear.

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Pros

gets absorbed very easily

keeps the skin nourished and moisturized for 8 hours

smells delicately of roses

Cons

very expensive

can get oily if applied in excess

packaging not friendly

bottle is brittle so beware of its handling

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Now, have you ever come across any product which has jasmine but does not stink of it? Well, this is one. It smells of a garden of fresh roses instead of jasmine. I have come to hate the strong scent of jasmine. The problem with jasmine's fragrance is its over-bearing nature which kills all the delicate smells.

So, I absolutely love that Kama has come up with such a product. Well, we can as well say that they need not mention jasmine! Anyways, the product gets absorbed easily into the skin and you do smell of rose for quite sometime but the fragrance comes as a part of you than overwhelming the entire room.

The only issue I faced with this product is that the bottle does not come with a stopper so you have to be careful of the amount of oil you take. If you take excess oil, obviously, it gets oily and shines on the skin though it disappears in a good 15-30 minutes. And, you need very little of the product to finish the job of moisturization.

No doubt the product is very expensive but once in a while indulgence is fine. Also, since you need only a bit of it, the product does last quite a decent time. For a regular usage of twice a day, it lasted me a month or more and that too when I used the product a bit more than required. So, do give it a try :)

Price: Rs 795 for 100ml

Availability

Kama stores across India

Have you tried this or any other Kama Ayurveda product?

Related Posts:

Kama Brigandi Intense Hair Treatment

Vaadi Herbals Amla Thanda (Cool) Tail (Oil)

Nivea pure effect Total Face Cleanup

Get from flipkart:

What I am doing for my Skin and Hair this Winter? {Skin Care}

Btw, did I share with you guys that I am in Delhi and the weather is decidedly chilly and dry and my skin is really not doing that well without a moisturiser. Not that Hyderabad is not equally dry, though. So, how are you thinking of taking care of your skin from the onset of winters. Have you prepared it for the change in weather?

So, once upon a time when I had written about winter skin care, I had mentioned that our skin care regime starts with having a bath in a day but now I would like to change it a bit. Our skin care regime starts with how we start the day and what we eat. As it is, we take less water in winters and if the body lacks good fats, skin does tend to get dry. 

Tip #1 - Water does not hydrate your skin!!

Okay, so a very common misconception is that if we drink 10-12 glasses of water, it should be enough to hydrate the skin from inside out. Well, that is not so! Water is necessary to maintain hydration levels but not enough. So, what out body needs is good fat and omega 3 and vitamin E for keeping soft and supple. 

Solution : Load on the nut even before the winters set. If you do take any smoothies or oats or other cereals, put a spoonful of nuts in it. Otherwise, powder the nuts together and eat them with your meals once or twice a day. Another good option is flax seeds or alsi beej (in hindi). Roast them and powder them. Consume within 10 days. 

Tip #2 - Moisturize inside the shower!!

I have always recommended layering, specially in winters. But, an even better option which is helping me get through these days is moisturising inside the shower. Take your lotion with you and once you wipe yourself off, moisturize immediately. Forget the 3-minute moisturization rule. And, remember this instead. 

The skin is plump and extremely absorbent in the shower due to the heat and immediate cleansing so it drinks up the moisturiser or body oil you apply and prevents the water from escaping keeping your skin hydrated for an entire day. 

Sometimes, if your skin is extremely dry, you might need to apply the body lotion again in the later half of the day. At that time, you can use your toner and dampen your skin and then follow with the moisturiser; unless you take bath twice in a day!

Tip #3 - Sugar is your best friend right now!

Still feeling dry? Moisturising is not enough? Your skin needs regular exfoliation in the winters. And, you really do not want to use anything else right now. Sugar is hydrating as well as exfoliating so it is your best bet. I would recommend the homemade body polish which makes my skin absolutely amazing twice a week! Unless you have acne-prone skin in which case you need gentler exfoliation.

Another tip I would love to include here is that dry brushing should be a regular in your daily routine. It helps increase the skin cell turnover everyday and helps the body lotions and oils to get absorbed better in the skin. Also, it prevents the dry skin itch almost all day long.

Tip #4 - Not only hair but scalp also dries out!!

So, when you are busy taking care of your skin, do not forget that taking good care of scalp will keep the blood flowing to the follicles and promote hair growth which is generally less in the winter months. Also, scalp can get dry and tighten so I moisturise my scalp with 2-3 drops of pomegranate oil. You could also try out grapeseed oil for the oily skin or hair. 

Tip #5 - And, get going!! 

Do not ditch the early morning exercises in favor of warm blankets because it will make you lazier and prone to junk food cravings. And, in turn, cause you to accumulate more fat and make your skin dull. A fresh morning exercise can rev up your blood circulation as well making your skin well-accustomed to the weather changes. 

And, the bonus tip - Do not forget the sunscreen. Winter sun is just as strong as the summer one because UVA rays are still aging your skin.

These were my secret tips for skin and hair this winter. Now, its your turn. What are your special and secret tips for skin and hair care in winters?

Related Posts:

5 Tips for Autumn and Winter Skin Care
Suryamudra to produce heat inside your body
Tips to wake up during colder mornings

Biotique Bio Clove Purifying Anti-blemish Face Pack for oily & acne prone skin {Product Review}

I have always voted up for Biotique face packs and this one is no different. I love the color and the texture of the product. Its a bit grainy and goes smoothly over damp skin as all other face packs do. Btw, do you remember the tip that anything gets absorbed better on damp skin - moisturizer, serums or face packs!

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Pros

leaves the skin smooth and a bit radiant

does help with tan and blemishes but only just so

suits dry skin as well in summers

can not find any con per se

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The mask takes a good 15-20 minutes to dry off if you have applied a thick layer. Removing the mask is not really easy just like other masks but using a wash cloth made it little better. Also, make sure that the wash cloth is soft enough otherwise you can end up harming your skin.

After removal, one can see a little brightening of the face. Over the course of time if you use it, it helps with blemishes but it does help with tan. Also, the mask can be used daily as well but in such a case, the mask should be kept till it is just dry and washed off so that you do not have to scrub it off the face. Everyday scrubbing is not good!

Ingredient List

Also, whether it helps with acne or oily skin is something I can not comment on but yes it does suit dry skin unless you are using in winters which I did not do so I have no idea how it fares in dry weather. But, overall, I would say it is worth a try and easily available.

Price: Rs 199 for 85 gms

Have you tried the product?

Related Posts:

Biotique Bio Wheatgerm Firming Face & Body Cream
Biotique Bio Flame of the Forest Fresh Shine Expertise Oil
Products which helped my hair

Get from flipkart:

Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion {Product Review}

Price: Rs 179 for 250ml

Pros

gets absorbed really quickly

hydrates really well

lasts long

My Experience

As you all know, Nivea is my favourite brand. Ok, I know I am sounding like a broken record...repeating the same thing time and again. Anyways, I got this body lotion when I had run out of everything but later on, I did find a body butter left over and parachute body lotion as well. 

Back to the review, the product is white in color and comes in a typical Nivea packaging. The texture of the product is really thin so it gets absorbed really fast but, amazingly, it stays on skin for long. As far as I have seen, it stays all night long.   

It keeps the skin moisturized and hydrated and stays true to its claims of express hydration. It boasts of hydra IQ formula (which is really good) and blue lotus scent (which I didn't really find amazing). The product makes the skin look glowing and supple and has no cons for me.

Anyways, I do know that nivea has amazing creams which have been launched outside...wish they come to India real soon. This product is an absolute try and the best part is it relieves my skin's dryness even these days so it is absolutely useful for dry skin as well. It also works well on dry feet.

Have you tried this? What did you think?

Other products from Nivea:
Nivea Fruity Shine Dragon Fruit vs Pomegranate
Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Milk
Nivea Nourishing Body Milk

Neev Rose Olive Body Wash {Product Review}

Price: Rs 160 for 200ml

Pros

cleanses really well

natural ingredients

smells awesome!!

Cons

does nothing for dry skin

My Experience

After a very long time, I have used a body wash. I bought this on recommendation from Shikha herself, one of the founders of Neev. She said that it is one of their bestsellers and I can imagine why. Its simply amazing in one word.

The ingredients list is on the top of my list in the praises for the product. It uses lye (potassium hydroxide for liquid soaps) which is equivalent to lye (sodium hydroxide in solid soaps) in handmade soaps. It also has rose petals in the bottle.

It comes in a flip top bottle and the texture of the product is quite weird. The top of the layer generally crystallizes which I guess is due to the reaction with air but otherwise the soap is liquid. When I say crystallizes, it just becomes a little jelly kinds.

Whether in crystalline form or liquid form, it lathers really well and is very gentle on the skin. The only problem is that you HAVE to follow it up with a moisturizer otherwise the skin does feel a bit dry. No, there is no stretchy feeling.

I think this may be due to the dryness in the weather. But, it will suit the skin in summers. It smells really good of roses. And, it also leaves the skin really soft. I would definitely recommend you to try this once. They also have shampoo with the same formula.

Other products from Neev:

Neev Almond Rose, Lemongrass and Patchouli Handmade Soaps

My sojourn at Four Fountain Spa, South Ex

this is the entrance view of the spa and the reception is on the side from where the snap was taken

Hola Ladies! So, I am back to Hyderabad and being at my office desk and reading the bridal skin care posts has filled me with energy for blogging again. I tell you there is something in Vastu and Feng Shui. Places do provide energies. Anyways, let me go to last Saturday and share a spa experience for which I was invited.

  

I knew Delhi would be hectic so I thought it would be best if I could start with a Swedish massage. And, I landed in the Four Fountain Spa in South ex just above Rabhya near Costa Coffee/Meena Bazar in Part - II. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the office space. I have only one spa experience earlier and I have not had a full body massage ever before this so I really have a clean slate but I always imagined spas to be huge sprawling complexes. 

But, I do understand the logistics and being in the prime location of South Delhi, getting that much space itself is pretty expensive. So, let me move on. I was greeted at the reception by a friendly lady (I am sorry I have become bad with names) who explained me all the various services they would offer. I finally chose the Swedish massage with wintergreen oil, it said. 

this is the room where I was pampered

I think the oil had ylang ylang and Eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils. I smelt a whiff of them. But, I am running ahead. So, once I chose the service, I was taken to a small room with a table to lie down. The disposables were there and I was told to change. There is a locker where you can keep the belongings.

Since I took the body massage, they said they do not cover face. I was a bit adamant on getting something done for the face and since I could not go for a facial, Ruthi (one who attended me) suggested a face mask so yes you can also mix and match and ask them whatever you want. I am pretty sure they would cater to the demands of the customers.

And, then, the rigor of massage began. It was really good but I have an issue personally. I am extremely ticklish and since I have never had such services, I can really never relax. If you are like me, its better you never go to such services. Seriously, coz you can not enjoy them and its not their fault!! 

The massage started with head and lasted for an hour and half and in between I did doze off lightly :D Well, that is what massages are for, right? Once the massage was done, I asked for steam room. They took me into the attached washroom. 

I have to say the washroom was extremely disappointing. Its smaller than a cupboard and you barely have place to turn. Added to that, you do not have a place to keep your utilities like face wash and such. They have body wash and hair wash but I prefer using mine. But, since there was no place, I used theirs. Having a shower over there was not something I will ever look forward to so that is a snag. I mentioned this to them during the feedback.

Otherwise, everything else was fine. They do provide hair dryer on request. And, they gave me some coupons and discounts on subsequent visit. Too bad I can not pass it on to someone else since I won't be in Delhi or anywhere else they have their branches till the voucher expires. And, they gave me a sleep balm as well which I am planning to use once I head to vizag for the final phase of my bachelor life next week :D All in all, definitely check it out!!

Have you tried the Four Fountain Spa yet?

Loving It / Using It Vol. 10 - Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot

After a long time, I have used a body scrub. I like that they are easy to use and less time consuming but then most of the body scrubs fail to show any results for me. So, lets see how did this one fare for me. 

Loving It / Using It : Using It 

• Price - Rs 68 for 90 gms

• Availability - generally available on online stores like flipkart, nykaa. Vaadiherbals.com is the existing brand website as well. 

• Packaging - Product comes in a plastic tub and will not leak. The tub is small enough to be carried around. 

• Texture - The scrub is grainy and creamy. The grains are less in density and not very harsh so they do not tear on the skin but generally, it is advised to skip on the grainy scrubs as they can cause micro-tears in the skin and harm the skin in the long run.  

• Usage - The product is a little more creamy so a bit of product diluted with water applies smoothly on the skin. Since it is a body scrub, it can be applied on both the face and body. I would say that it is gentle enough but still I would prefer to avoid it on face. 

• Results - Even though the product is creamy, it does not feel as if it leaves a residue after washing off. And, it does leave the skin shinier than before and the moisturiser gets absorbed real quick after a scrub session. And, it does not leave the skin dry as well. But, yes, it would not do anything like removing the dark spots and all which it does not claim to do either. Yes, one thing, I did not notice if they really made a difference to the blackheads, though!

• Ingredient List - Vaadi Herbals is notorious for not specifying the ingredient list which puts me off the brand a bit. 

My Verdict

Well, it definitely is a product to try out. I did like it.

Have you tried the product? Have you tried any other product from Vaadi? How did you find it?  

Other products from Vaadi Herbals:

Vaadi Herbals Chandan Kesar Haldi Face Pack
Vaadi Herbals Amla Thanda (Cool) Tail (Oil)
Vaadi Herbals Aromatherapy Body Oil Pure Lemongrass and Lily Oil

My Skin Care Routine {Skin Care}

Being a beauty blogger, many of you would be thinking that I have a very elaborate routine and am very diligent about it. Nothing could be farther than truth. I am the most lazy person you will ever come across and I can ignore my skin or hair for a long time. 

The maximum I have ignored my hair is a week, after that I have to at least wash it. I do many times skip conditioning or oiling as well. And, skin, I can ignore for months together except for basic cleansing and moisturizing. Right now, I am passing through that kind of lazy phase. 

Cleansing
Obviously, can't ignore it. Ok, there have been days I have done that. But, these days, I do follow that coz I am having my bath twice a day. Having a geyser at my disposal is actually harming my skin more. Why? I used to stay in a hostel earlier which had just one common geyser for the entire floor. 

I used to use a heating rod to heat the water [was too lazy to carry buckets of water from the bathroom to my room!] But, now, the geyser is right there in my bathroom. I like hot baths and, now, I am trying to control the temperature of the water I use so that it doesn't dry my skin too much.

Moisturizing
I am using the Lotus White Glow Emulsion for day time and for night, I generally use Rustic Art Aloevera Gel and follow with a drop or two of any facial oil. Sometimes, I prepare my own. Yup, I know I haven't done any DIY in a long while but I lack inspiration and patience both!!!

Sunscreen
If I actually see the pattern of last month, there have been many many days when I have blatantly skipped the sun protection. Ok, let me confess, I don't really like applying it and it takes too much of time and effort and it increases my getting-ready time exponentially. 

But, let me also add that when I skipped the sunscreen, my skin has perceptibly darkened and since I have started it again, I have seen my skin come back to its original color gradually. So, yup, its an unavoidable nuisance. I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer.

 
Lips
I have been using Nivea Pomegranate for lips in the morning and at night, I have been using Aloe Veda lip balm. But, my lips are really getting dry coz I miss out using lip balms generally and in the office, its really difficult for me to remember. AC is also taking a toll.

Body Care
I do tend to skip the morning miniaturization coz of the scarcity of time. Currently, I am using the Nivea Express Hydration lotion. And, at night also, many times, I skip but do not do that!!! Otherwise, I am using The Body Shop Polynesian Monoi Oil. And, if need be, follow with the nivea lotion again.

That's it!! Yup, there are a lot of things missing. Exfoliation or Dry Brush which I totally love. I haven't exfoliated my face since like ages and dry brush, trust me, I am missing it desperately but I misplaced it while shifting and I am afraid I lost it!!!

Anyways, so you have seen my routine, you would want to ask how is my skin feeling? Its become dry since August and I can't really do without moisturizing. I have to be a regular at it. Otherwise, my skin is soft and good enough. So, what's your skin care routine?

5 Tips for Autumn and Winter Skin Care {Five Series}

So, winter is almost at the door step and autumn has already made the air pretty dry. The climate of Hyderabad is dry and it just gets more and more drier and sitting in AC doesn't really help!!! Couple of days back, I felt my skin was getting stretchy even after applying loads of moisturizers. So, how did I overcome that? Check out.

Good Cleanser

A gentle, SLS-free cleanser has really helped with the hydration levels of my skin. Recently, I tried out an SLS-based face wash for review purposes and I was amazed at the difference it made to my skin. My skin felt dried up and starved of moisture.

Hydrating Moisturizer

I did realize in this entire process that simply using loads of moisturizer doesn't really help. A hydrating moisturizer is the need of the day. So, I used my trusted aloevera gel and it worked!!! Yup, try to get a water-based gel moisturizers. There are loads in the market, especially, from big brands.

Exfoliation

Yes, something which I have NOT been doing but its extremely important. Dead skin cells are more during colder and drier months so a hydrating scrub is very effectively in preserving the lipid barriers of the skin. Raw Sugar or Jaggery works out the best for me.

Oils

Yes, I know you are afraid of oils but not oils are really oily and using correct amount of oil is very necessary. A drop or two is generally enough. And, there are loads of facial and body oils these days which do wonders for the skin.

My recommendation would be a drop or two of Apricot Oil which goes on skin like silk and makes skin amazingly soft and NO grease either. I do wanna use other amazing oils like rosehip and such and will report back after I use them ;) And, by the way, the oily skin gals can also use oils.

Layering

This is one of the tips which is really effective. Sometimes, products used can be ineffective on their own, especially for dry skins!!! So, layering helps a lot. I do that sometimes for both my face and body. The aloevera gel goes first and then I use a drop or two of any facial oil. Similarly, a body oil coupled with a great body lotion helps the body.

Please remember that all the above tips apply all over the body and not just the exposed parts. So, follow them and enjoy the soft skin this winters :) And, I am so excited for winters. Its my favorite-st climate :D How do you keep your skin protected in winters?

Related Posts:

How to protect skin this winter?

Winter Skin Care Lotions 

Keep your skin moisturized this winter with Banana 

Is your skin itchy?

Get soft lips this winter

Vivel Active Essentials 3-in-1 Face Wash + Scrub {Product Review}

Price: Rs 105 for 100ml

Pros

cleanses the face really well

jojoba beads provide mild exfoliation

Cons

not meant for all skin types even if it says all kind types

leaves my skin a bit dry sometimes

jojoba beads don't get washed off properly

has SLS!!

My Experience

The product is a beautiful pearly blue in color with blue jojoba beads for exfoliation. The beads are not harsh on the skin but for me, the exfoliation wasn't enough. It doesn't help with the blackheads. The product last quite long, little being enough for every time. It lathers quite well and cleanses really well.

The face does look a bit brighter after using it. But, I do feel my skin is getting dry so probably it will suit only oily skin people and not dry. As I said earlier, my skin gets dry as the climate gets cooler, a drying face wash doesn't exactly help!! I love the color of the product, the pale blue.

So, did you use it? Do share what you think about it!

PS: Product sent by brand.

You might like:

Garnier Light Fairness Face wash 

Dove Deep Pure Face Wash 

Auravedic Botanical Actives Pulpy Facewash Honey Almond

Are you a specy bride? {Bridal Files}

So, yup, I wanted to do this post for like ages! I am a specy bride so I wanted to list down certain things which you should take care of!

Contacts!

Well, I have never been one for LASIK so I would say run for the store and grab a pair of contact lenses as soon as possible. Pretty obvious, you would think? Yah, that is true.

Now, let us come down to some pertinent points. I do not know how your doc or your optician prescribes contacts for you but they actually have a cheat sheet which has a list of spectacle power and the corresponding contact lens power. Check that cheat sheet and then get your contacts.

Actually, since your contacts are right on your eyes without any distance as opposed to the distance between eyes and lens while using specs, the power decreases by almost 1 point minimum so you should not use the same power for both lens and spectacles.

If you are thinking of LASIK, get it done at least three months before the wedding and make sure your eyes get a lot of rest. Strain is not good for the health of the eyes.

Shape of the Eyes

Ok, some people have naturally very deep sitting eyes and some people get that with constant use of specs. For those who have deep seated eyes due to the specs usage, the situation can be remedied if you use the contacts. So, try using the contacts for quite a good amount of time before the D-day or may be start using them now!!

Shape of the skin around the nose

If you have noticed, the skin around the nose and the cheekbones start drooping if you are a regular user of spectacles. Skin is used to taking the shape just like water so following the shape of the spectacles, it readjusts itself. The drooping shape of the spectacles and the deep-seated eyes gives away the fact that you are used to wearing specs. To get rid of that, start using contacts as regularly as you can.

What contacts to buy?

Well, we have daily disposables and fortnight disposables apart from the monthly ones and I donno if the yearly ones are still in production or not. Anyways, my advice would be to go for the fortnight ones. The reason being they are more reasonable than the daily disposable ones and you replace them regularly enough that your eyes can avoid infection.

And, once you get the fortnight trial lenses, you can actually understand how well-adapted your eyes would be to the contacts in the long run. And, accordingly, you can use the contacts and the spectacles. Daily disposables are only preferable when you do not want the lens maintenance headaches.

Bausch and Lomb and Johnson's Acuvue both are pretty good with 14-15 hours usage for both daily and fortnightly disposable lenses. And, I would also like to state that keep the usage of laptops, desktops and any communication devices while using contacts to a minimum as they dry out the eyes pretty quickly.

Use eye drops for sure while using lenses. Dry eyes can catch infections pretty quickly so you have to be really careful when using the lenses. I would suggest to use lenses in fact when you are going out and yes do avoid them if you are driving bikes. They can fly away in the wind :D Ok, the keyword being CAN.

Dark Circles

Yes, spectacles can actually cause dark circles so treat them! Use almond oil or vit. E oil at night as under-eye treatment and keep the area moist and get good sleep. It is very important when you are shifting to contact lenses.

I know all these points above are pretty much common sense and they are very much prevalent but the thing is most people tend to ignore them and hence the infections due to contact lenses. Be aware of how to treat your eyes and they are good to go :) And, enjoy your D-day in contacts.

So, specy brides, do you have a point to add here? Ok, there is a small part two to this post which I would come back with sometime later!

Related Posts:

Week 2 Updates

Week 1 Updates

How to start planning the wedding?

Do you think it is safe to use a bleach? {Your Opinion}

Hey Everyone! So, I wanted to tell you I have been a lot busy for the past two weeks, I have not been checking my mails or reading any comments except for few posts!! I am really sorry for that but trust me today was a really longgg day and even yesterday and guess tomorrow as well!!

And, mom is gonna come day after after which we have to literally run for everything! Also, mom got a new red sari so I guess I am shifting my engagement sari to red now :D And, then I thought that a mix of golden and subtle red hint eye shadows would look gorgeous for the day with red lipstick...what do you say? Ok, I am really bad at it so don't judge please!

Anyways, I will be bugging you with all this for next two weeks so let me come back to the topic I was supposed to write about. In fact, its not me writing but asking you all - Have you tried any bleach on your face or arms? Is it really safe? Till date I have never used bleach and I am really scared of it!

In fact why this topic came into my mind was that few days back I was just browsing around and then I hit on the fem gold bleach review which had phenomenal before and after snaps! I was like shocked and so tempted to use it off. But, then, I controlled myself and thought I would first know the opinions of you all.

So, do you really think bleaching is a good option? Or, should I stay away from it in the nick of time?

Related Posts:

Suggestions Please - Serum or night moisturizer for radiant skin!

Why are people biased against makeup?

Does your night moisturizer have spf?

Rustic Art Algae Organic Bathing Soap {Product Review}

Price: Rs 155 for 100gms

Ingredients

Pros

just like all handmade soaps, gentle on skin and doesn't leave skin stretched

can be used easily on a baby as well 

doesn't melt so easily and does last around a month with two usages per day

Cons

not as moisturizing as it says

expensive!!

My Experience

I totally love natural handmade soaps and love to try out various different ones so this one was on my radar since I got Rustic Art products for review. The usage of Algae made me curious to check it out. But, the soap is nothing in fancy in looks. In fact, its a dull dark brown in color and no fragrance at all. 

As it says "an ultimate moisturizer", I thought it would leave my skin really soft and not very dry. It didn't leave my skin dry at all nor did my skin feel stretched even if I forgo the moisturizer but I do feel one needs to moisturize immediately afterwards. I felt as if the Algae did nothing extra!!

Ok, it will be unfair to say any product should be doing a double duty and moisturizing is a routine one must not forgo in any case. Surprisingly, the product didn't melt as soon as I feared it would. It did last me around a month of good usage. The best part of the product is it is organic but I do feel its expensive as well. 

Other products from Rustic Art:

Rustic Art Spa and Lotus Organic Bathing Soaps
Rustic Art Aloevera Gel

Suggestions Please - Serum or night moisturizer for radiant skin!

So, I am trying to improve my skin condition and I have been thinking that some pampering is due so I was hoping you could all gimme suggestion for some night moisturizer or serum or any product which does not have sunscreen or makeup base and which can be applied anytime. 

I want something which can make the skin radiant and glowing and keep it that way for long! I did think of Vitamin C capsules from TBS but I am not really sure if I this is a good time to try them out the word on that product is quite mixed. Any high-brand product which is easily available in India would also be appreciated.

Do you think Ponds Gold Radiance would be good? I do not know if it is still in the market. I guess they have discontinued the range. I also had Forest Essentials gold youth serum or something in my mind. Anyways, since I have already given a lot of options, I am waiting for your inputs :)

My Skin Diary - September 2013

Ok, so, I can see my entire life changing in front of me now. And, now is the main time to take care of my skin :D So, what all did I do in September? I was pretty serious about using sunscreen this month. And, now I have run out of my favorite one so I need to replenish it in my shelf.

Guess what, MVO has started charging shipping for India. It has become so damn expensive so I have to wait till my friend comes from US and I have asked her to get me a few bottles. Till that time, I have to survive on lesser spf. Well, hopefully, I should not get too tanned. 

Face

Day Routine

• Face wash - Olay Total Face Cleanup
• Moisturizer - Rustic Art aloevera gel
• Base before Sunscreen - Garnier Eye Roll On + Maybelline Insta Age Eraser
• Sunscreen - MVO Face Moisturizing Screen + MVO Everyday Sheer Coverage
  
• Kajal - Maybelline Colossal
• Lip Balm - Maybelline Berry Crush

Night Routine

• Cleansing Milk - Mustard Oil + Coconut Oil
• Face wash - Olay Total Face Cleanup
• Toner - Liz Earle + Kama Ayurveda Vetiver Water
• Moisturizer - Rustic Art aloevera gel
• Facial Oil - Turmeric infused Almond Oil + Primrose Oil

Body

Day Routine

• Moisturizer - Vaadi Herbals Body Oil
• Sunscreen (arms) - Neutrogena 

Night Routine

• Moisturizer - Vaadi Herbals Body Oil + Vaseline Aloe Fresh + Kama Ayurveda Rose Jasmine Bath & Body Oil

So, I did not really do anything much to my skin. Yes, one experiment I did was removing makeup everyday using Oil Cleansing Method. It worked out really well for a few days in the starting but then I thought my skin was not really accepting such a heavy treatment everyday so I left it at that!! So, I would suggest OCM only once a week at max. Do not do it everyday. Ciao with another post tomorrow. Its a bridal update post :D

How did your skin do in September?

Related Posts:
My Skin Diary - August 2013
My Skin Diary - July 2013
The Green Beauty Skin Care Tag [Part - I]

What happens when you do not use Sunscreen? {Sunscreen}

This post is specially for people who have not yet adapted this routine thinking it to be just a frivolous stuff. Well, may be it was and that was the doubt which made me do this little experiment. I forgo-ed sunscreen for almost two weeks and now I am putting up these findings.

I have been using sunscreen more or less regularly since a year. And, I apply sunscreen only once in a day. But, I do apply a good amount of it for proper protection. And, yes, I do go out in the peak time of 10 AM - 4 PM as well. So, lets get on the with my findings.

My arms are back to whatever state they were tanned prior to my use of sunscreen. Interestingly, I observed the tanning only after a couple of days without sunscreen. The first day I didn't apply sunscreen, my skin was looking more or less the same. 

Talking about the face and neck, yes, they are also tanned. Not as much as my arms coz I did use sunscreen on and off. And, I am using a lightening oil as well at night to combat this tanning but still I know that my complexion has grown darker. 

So, now that I know that sunscreen is extremely important to preserve my skin complexion, I would try not to skip it. And, this is my first advise to everyone who love their skin. Oh! Btw, please remember that the benefits of using sunscreen are apparent only if you use the proper amount and after around a month of use. That's when you will see changed in your skin, be it color or texture. 

So, what do you think? Do you find yourself getting tanned whenever you skip sunscreen? 

Related Posts:

How to remove tanning on arms?
5 Steps to get fairer skin?