Miss Claire Color Rich Lipstick shade 16 – Review

Some of us feel lipsticks are only for special occasions & parties but if you are like me, who loves lipsticks and would like to use it more frequently without looking loud then, continue reading this post.

Today I am going to review ‘Miss Claire Color Rich Lipstick’. I came across this range of lipsticks from Marie Claire in one of the beauty stores in Vashi,Navi Mumbai and I thought it would be worth trying. So let’s get started !!

Name: Miss Claire Color Rich Lipstick

Shade No: 16

Price: Rs.380/- (you may get it at a lesser price online)

Here is the list of ingredients, if you wish to know

• This lipstick is in a shade of brownish to nude. It is one of those you can wear to office or use for a natural look as well

• The lipstick tends to make my lips a bit dry after I apply it, so I use it with my lip balm that gives it a lovely glossy effect

• What I really liked is that it is smudge free which makes it excellent to use as a part of your everyday makeup

• This lipstick lasts longer than expected and saves me from the trouble of reapplying it every now & then

So let’s sum up the Pros & Cons of the Miss Claire Color Rich Lipstick

Pros

• Perfect lipstick for everyday & office look
• Affordable
• Smudge free
• Sturdy packaging makes it travel friendly
• Reasonably long lasting
• The colour will suit most skin types
• It’s nice to see that they have mentioned the list of ingredients used to make this lipstick. I have never come across any other makeup brand that does this for a lipstick

Cons

• It could be a bit drying so you will have to use it along with a lip balm
• Availability could be a problem as I haven’t seen this in any of the malls nearby and got this from a beauty store in Vashi

My ratings: I will give it a score of 8/10

I hope you enjoyed reading this post

If you like this post please follow+ the blog also like & share your comments below.

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You can now follow me on twitter @prabhu_aiswarya

Disclaimer:The opinion is solely of my own and what may work for me may not work for you, so it is advisable to enquire well & do a patch test if possible before you use any services & products mentioned in the review

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Let’s Clean Up !!

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

Are you broke or don’t have enough pocket money this month to visit a beauty salon ? Or haven’t really found a good salon yet? Or You are simply lazy to go to a salon to get your clean up done? Whatever be your reason, don’t worry; today I am going to explain to you how to do a clean up at home in few easy steps.

So let’s get started !!

Things you will need

• Cleanser
• Scrub
• Steamer
• Mask
• Face towels/Sponge
• Water
• Moisturiser
• Alternatively, you can buy clean up kits that are available in the market which are economical & follow the steps using the kit

Step 1: Cleansing

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

Every beauty treatment should start with cleansing. Depending on your skin type select the cleansing lotion:

For oily/combination skin – Gel based cleansing lotion

For dry skin – Cream based cleansing lotion

For sensitive skin – Non fragrant cleansing lotion

Apply the cleanser all over your face & neck and wipe off well using a muslin cloth or cotton pad.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

Use a scrub based on your skin type,

For acne prone /sensitive skin – mild scrub

For normal skin – mild to strong scrub can be used

Gently scrub all over your face & neck; focus on your nose, chin, forehead & jaw line.Wipe off the scrub using a wet face towel/sponge. Need ideas for home made scrubs? See the link given below:

https://wp.me/p9WGTs-1h

Step 3: Steam

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

Now that your face is clean and free from grime & dead skin; it is time to take some steam.You can either use a vessel or a face steamer. Continue taking steam for about 5 minutes. Steam helps to open up the pores of your skin preparing it for the next step.

(Caution: Since you are dealing with hot water be extra careful and make sure to close the lid of the steamer well).

Step 4: Mask

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

Since the steam has opened up the pores, it is time to feed some nutrients to your skin. Select the face mask that suits your skin type and apply it all over your face & neck. Wash off the mask when it is almost dry using a wet face towel or sponge.

You can see my blog post for ideas to make face masks at home,here is the link to it :

https://wp.me/p9WGTs-1h

Step 5 : Moisturise

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

Use your regular moisturiser to moisturise your skin and if you plan to step out of the house after the clean up during the day follow it up with a sunscreen as well.

This clean up will make your skin feel squeaky clean & rejuvenated. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Please follow+ the blog, let me know your comments below & don’t forget to give me stars !!

Be Pashionably Intelligent !!😎

 

Disclaimer:The opinion is solely of my own and what may work for me may not work for you, so it is advisable to enquire well  & do a patch test if possible  before you use any  services & products mentioned above

What can possibly irritate your Sensitive Skin ?

Many of us claim that we have sensitive skin but in reality what is sensitive skin? Does breaking out means you have sensitive skin? No, excess oil production in the skin causes pimples; this does not directly indicate that you have sensitive skin. In case of sensitive skin, the layers of the skin get irritated due to a number of internal & external factors causing redness, itching, bumps, pimples & dry patches, etc.

It was hard for me to accept that I have sensitive skin because with sensitive skin one has limited options to try. I cannot try all the latest products that are available in the market and even some of the best brands don’t work on my skin. Every time I try a new product on my skin, it is more like a science lab experiment anything can happen; maybe a miracle or a disaster!

Today I am going to tell you some trigger points that can irritate your sensitive skin

Sun Damage

Being exposed to the harmful rays of the sun causes itching, dry skin patches, redness on the exposed areas of the body & face.

Beauty Products

I always loved trying new products but slowly I realised that I had to stop this. Certain ingredients in the beauty products can provoke sensitive skin making it aggressive and red !I have to be careful in experimenting with new products.

Pollution

Pollution leads to a lot of skin problems for all skin types but for those with sensitive skin, extra care needs to be taken to control the sensitivity of the skin.

Stress

Stress is the root cause for most of our problems in life and it can play havoc on your sensitive skin.

Lack of Sleep

Our skin repairs itself while we sleep; skin cells get renewed during sleep and thus beauty sleep is a must to soothe sensitive skin.

Less Water Intake

Water helps to flush out the toxins from the body and relieves sensitive skin. Less water intake causes serious damage, aggravating sensitive skin.

Food intake

Eating a lot of junk, processed & sugary food causes inflammation inside the body and this acts a trigger point in provoking sensitive skin.

Hormonal Imbalance

Any imbalance in the hormonal levels can be a nightmare for people with sensitive skin, making your skin angry & bumpy.

Unhygienic habits

Not keeping your hair & body clean and wearing unclean clothes can trouble your skin making it itchy, red with bumps all over.

Temperature fluctuations & Weather conditions

Sudden temperature change like using hot water for bathing can cause irritation for people with sensitive skin. Change in the weather leads to change in the temperature which again leads to trouble for sensitive skin.

Active Ingredients

Active Ingredients helps to improve the condition of the skin but too many active ingredients being used together does more of a harm than doing good.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and it will help you keep a track of the activities that can irritate your sensitive skin.

If you like this post please follow+ the blog also like & share your comments below.

Happy Reading !!

You can now follow me on twitter @prabhu_aiswarya

Himalaya Lip Balm Review Buy or Not to buy ?

When the lips are dry & chapped or when you are just too lazy to apply a lip stick.Lipbalms are the best companion for our lips.

Even though a regular petroleum jelly can do the job of a lip balm quite well;we would still want to get something that’s cute and made specifically for our lips.

Today I am going to review a lip balm from the brand Himalaya

Himalaya as a brand is about making cost effective herbal,natural products with less or no chemicals in it.

So let’s get started !!

Name :Himalaya Lip Balm

Type : No colour , plain in nature

Price :Rs.30/- for 10grams 🙂

Ingredients: (almost strained my eyes trying to read the small words, but my PASHION for blogging kept me motivated)

Oils of

• Wheatgerm (Godhuma – Triticum Sativum)
• Carrot (Garijara -Daucus Carota)
• Castor oil/ castor bean plant (Eranda-Ricinus Communis)
• Sweet Indrajao ( Hyamaraka -Wrightia Tinctoria
• Coconut ( Narikela-Cocos Nucifera)

Truly a Herbal product isn’t it ?

(Back side of the lip balm)

Coming to the analysis of the Lip balm

• This is a simple lip balm and the colour is some what similar to that of a petroleum jelly

• The consistency is not as thick as the petroleum jelly though, it feels quite light after applying

• The key ingredients here are Wheatgerm & Carrot Seed Oil which is something unusual than the typical fruit lip balms we see in the stores

(Wheatgerm oil is a rich source of Vitamin E,also helps moisturise & heal cracked, dry skin while Carrot seed oil is full of anti oxidants and helps moisturise skin)

• It has a mild sweet fragrance which I really like

• The lip balm does it’s job well of keeping the lips moisturised
• It claims to act a sun screen for the lips; protecting it from the UV rays of the sun,though I haven’t been able to notice anything significant with respect to the protection from the UV rays,may be because I never observed this previously.

To sum up the PROS & CONS,

PROS

• Does it what it is supposed to do – protect & nourishes the lips
• Cost effective (it’s almost 3months I am still using the same lip balm, I use this not more than twice a day and also before applying lipstick)
• No colour so if you are someone who doesn’t like coloured lip balms this is one of the best to try
• The packaging is such that it can be used directly onto the lips without having to mess your fingers
• Travel friendly
• In case you have forgotten,your hand cream,you can use the lip balm on your palms too !

CONS

• Sometimes it leaves a whitish layer on the lips which I don’t like but then with so many benefits of this lip balm I can let go this point !!

My Ratings : I would give it a 9.5/10 since I couldn’t find any other lip balm that is so economical to buy and also provides good quality product.

(-0.5 since there is always scope for more:-P )

I hope you enjoyed this post and should try this product at least once.

Please follow+ the blog, like,share & comment on the post.

Be Pashionably Intelligent !

Disclaimer:The opinion is solely of my own and what may work for me may not work for you, so it is advisable to enquire well & do a patch test if possible before you use any services & products mentioned in the blog

What is the Modern day Rapunzel’s Hair Care Routine like ?

Who doesn’t know Rapunzel- the one with golden coloured seventy feet long hair ! Modern day Rapunzel is all about clean,thick, frizz free hair & long enough to manage life.

With the scorching sun above and increased levels of pollution everywhere, it is difficult to maintain our hair.The soaring temperatures have added fuel to the fire by making our heads sweaty all the time.

Today I am going to discuss step by step how we all can achieve the Tag of Modern day Rapunzel with dandruff free,thick,silky & long hair (not 70feet long though !).

The Steps include Hair Care Routine along with the products I use that I believe will help me in achieve this tag.

Just like any of you,spending hours on managing my hair is next to impossible so my hair care routine is a simple one with only the necessary products in it.

Also,I may not have the best hair in the world to boast about but I do my best to keep it well maintained.

Here is a photo I thought to share with you all, to give you an understanding of how my hair looks.It might not be in it’s best because I wasn’t really prepared for this click (just a random click). In general I have thick hair which gets frizzy if I don’t maintain it well.

I also have a very sensitive scalp ,yes you heard it right! People only talk about sensitive skin ,I have sensitive scalp as well which gives me limited options to try for my hair.My scalp is extremely intolerant to almond oil ,even some of the best shampoos don’t suit me.

1. Oiling your hair – Champi as we call it in Hindi !

I am not sure how many of you actually oil your hair before taking a head bath, but I always make sure to have an oil massage for my scalp before taking head bath.(I can never imagine myself having a hair wash without oiling).

Now why am I focusing so much on oiling hair ?

– Oiling your hair aids blood circulation of the scalp region.

– If you haven’t oiled your hair and take a head bath,chances are high that the shampoo will strip off the natural oils of your hair,to avoid this it’s better to oil your hair.

– Depending on the type of oil you use, the ingredients in it penetrate your scalp & repair your hair,thus improving the quality of your hair in the long run.

– Bonding time, in case it’s your sister or mum who gives you a nice oil massage don’t say no to them, some of the best conversations arise during the Champi time.It is also like a Me Time in case you have to do it on your own, so don’t miss it !

I am using ‘Neelibhringadi coconut Hair oil‘ .

I was introduced to this product by my mum who trusts this product from her childhood days. This oil is used as an ingredient in preparing other types of hair oils as well.

2. Shampoo my hair

Even before finishing the bottle of shampoo we are currently using, we want to try the new one we saw on TV the other day and now slowly the old shampoo bottle is going to be pushed to other family members to try their hands on(that way we wouldn’t feel bad about throwing it & we can buy the new one).Many of us do this,believe it or not.

What is to be kept in mind with Shampoo is the frequency of washing hair & type of shampoo to use. I generally wash my hair 2-3 times a week and if the climate is such that my hair is so oily ,that it’s enough to make French fries then of course I wash my hair more frequently.

Currently the Shampoo I am using is from Loréal Professional – Serieexpert Anti dandruff Shampoo.

It was my hair dresser who recommended this to me first,when I was suffering from dandruff.

Depending on what are your hair problems, you can opt for a particular type of shampoo that satisfies your hair needs.

3. Hair Conditioner

In case you have naturally soft, silky hair which does not get affected even a bit from the chemicals present in the shampoo, then you may skip this step,but for the rest of you like me you cannot escape this !(Evil smile)

Hair conditioner helps to restore nutrients back to your hair and should not be skipped if you have frizzy, dry hair.

My all time favourite is Dove Intense Repair Hair conditioner.

While using a hair conditioner the trick is to keep it for 2-4 mins and to apply as per the instructions mentioned on the product, since some conditioners are not meant to be applied to the roots of your hair.

4. Hair serum

In my opinion, this is one step that most of us skip. Use of hair serum is as important as using a shampoo & conditioner.Those who have frizzy hair should not skip this step under any circumstance.

I use Streax Hair Serum – the one with Walnut oil.

I thank my friend Sanika Aroskar who introduced me to this product and is one of the best serums I have ever used. I generally apply a few drops on damp hair and that’s it. I will not suggest you to apply it every now and then,when the hair gets frizzy;as this will only cause build-up on your hair .

5. Healthy food & Water Intake

This is one step that I will shout over the mountains to convey to all of you ! Healthy diet and sufficient water intake is very important for your hair to stay soft & shiny and of course healthy.

6. Comb your Hair

As if you wouldn’t comb your hair! but I know of people who would not comb their hair for days together. (I did this too when I was at home for study leave and it was really bad later). Combing hair is not just for keeping your hair in place but it helps distribute the natural oils of your hair evenly and also helps in blood circulation.

That does not mean you keep on brushing your hair every now & then,limit your hair brushing to two times in a day. Always remember that overdoing of anything will reverse its benefits !

7. Hair Trimming

This won’t help you grow your hair quickly but it surely helps in getting rid off the split ends and also gives a nice shape to your hair.

I hope you all enjoyed this Post.

I will being making a post –reviewing the products I use (this will give you a better understanding of whether you should go for these products or not).

If you like this post then please follow+ the blog and share it with your friends & family. Let me know your comments in the box below.

Also if you like the post,don’t forget to give me stars;click on the star to like the post .

Happy Reading !!

Disclaimer:The opinion is solely of my own and what may work for me may not work for you, so it is advisable to enquire well & do a patch test if possible before you use any services & products mentioned in the blog

Colorbar -Pretty Please Lipstick Review

Lipsticks are great if you wish to add a dash of colour to your look.

So with this in mind I am going to review the ‘Colorbar – Pretty Please Lipstick’.I generally have nude coloured lipsticks in my makeup bag but seeing this one on Youtube,I decided to get one for myself !

I couldn’t find this one in the Colorbar store in Inorbit mall,Vashi.The sales guy there suggested that I check in Shoppers Stop in the same mall. Fortunately I found it there & I was rejoicing at that moment.

Let’s start with the Review !

Name : Colorbar Lipstick – Pretty Please

Shade Number :79

Price : Rs.325 /- this was the price I found online but in Shoppers Stop they said Rs.250/-.However being a member of Shoppers Stop I had some loyalty points in my membership card which I redeemed and finally paid Rs.188/- for this (I felt so happy about having a loyalty card after a long time ! 🙂 ).

• The lipstick appears to be brighter after applying than what it looks when you just see it. It’s in a shade of Red combined with Pink and slight tinge of orange.

• One thing about this lipstick is that I have to use it really carefully because if I apply it right away it tends to look too bright so I have to apply it mildly, just to add a bit of a colour to the lips.
• Even though I am not very particular about how long the lipstick stays on, I feel this one is just like any other lipstick fades away after you eat or drink something,but it leaves a tinge behind that makes it look like natural pink lips.

To sum up I will divide it into Pros & Cons

PROS

• The Colour would suit most skin tones
• Affordable
• Sturdy packaging of the lipstick ensures it doesn’t break off.
• Based on how much colour you want, you can use it accordingly,which means it could be used both a simple natural lip colour or a bright lip colour.

CONS

• If you are very particular about how long the colour lasts, then this one may not be for you.Its not quite long lasting.

My Ratings – I would give it a score of 7/10 based on my analysis of the Lipstick.

Let me know what you think of this review.

Happy reading !

Aiswarya

Disclaimer:The opinion is solely of my own and what may work for me may not work for you, so it is advisable to enquire well & do a patch test if possible before you use any services & products mentioned in the review

The Monsoon Diaries – Post 03

Another post from The Monsoon Diaries – collection of my season specific posts is here. In my previous posts I mentioned about Health Care,Skin Care and now it’s time for Hair Care.

The rainy season makes hair care an uphill task with oily scalp,dandruff,frizzy hair & performances by the ‘The Lice Girls’ (I just realised it’s rhyming with the Spice Girls ! :-P) Most of us end up worrying about our hair care, feeling like there is nothing that can be done about it. Today I am going to share with you some tips to save your tresses from the mighty rains!

• Hair Cleansing, some of you who may have observed that my first point is generally about cleansing. Cleansing will always remain the first and foremost important point.Just like we can get infections on our body similarly our hair is prone to infections too.Lice,dandruff during the rains are common.By cleansing we are protecting our scalp from being a breeding ground to all these problems. Try washing your hair at least 3 times a week.Also make sure to apply some oil on your hair before washing it.

Image source : http://www.shutterstock.com

• Wet hair is the biggest problem for our tresses, no matter what you do to protect your hair, the rain drops somehow manage to fall on your hair and makes it wet. All these years we thought that dry scalp is the only reason behind the snow on our hair Oops ! I meant Dandruff.However wet hair & scalp causes dandruff too!. So do not tie your hair when it is wet as it will make your hair remain damp for too long.

• Avoid going for any type of Hair treatments like smoothening, straightening,etc in the rains, this is because our hair is extremely fragile during the rains and using harsh chemicals would damage it even more.

• Drink loads of boiled water/packaged water to make sure the body & hair remains hydrated and also avoid using hair dryers very often, this will help reduce the frizziness from the hair.

• If you are planning for a hair cut and you are okay with trying something different than usual,then opt for shorter hair-cuts, since maintenance will be low & it will be easier to cover short hair with a rain cap.

• Hair Fall is another common complaint of most women during this season.Since our hair is in a delicate state during this season, do not worry if there is a little more hair fall than usual (If you feel that the hair fall seems quite abnormal, then don’t hesitate to see a doctor). Avoid combing wet hair or drying it using a towel vigorously.Be gentle to your hair.

I hope you all enjoyed the Third post of The Monsoon Diaries.

If you like the post please follow the blog by clicking on Follow+ , share your email address, you will get an email kindly click on confirm & there you are !

Ready to get all that information a beauty with brains like you needs !.

Happy Reading !

Aiswarya