Perfect Skin Care for you

Grooming Lessons Vol. 3 - Don't drag your feet!

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:30:01 PDT

I am continuing with this series after a long time. And, honestly, when I think, the lessons or the entire series sound condescending to me! It might project out an image as if I know things better than you and that it makes me in a position to advise you.

But, let me tell you that neither is that the case nor is such my intention! In fact, in reality, I am never the best dressed person in a regular routine. I am too lazy for that and I just pick anything in front of me. But, yes, there are certain habits which are better if avoided.

So, I would like to talk about such habits. And, please do not be judging on this series. It is something I am doing for fun, to remind myself to avoid certain things and also to help people remember what they might be doing wrong.

Btw, most of the people know what their short-comings are. Its just that either they hate being reminded of it or they are too lazy to change it! And, some do it sub-consciously. So, lets just go ahead!

Please do not drag your feet

This is something my mom absolutely detests and she always scolds me those few times I do it. In fact, I can empathize with her now that I regularly hear someone else dragging their feet. No doubt it is sure fun to drag feet but it sure is as hell irritating for other's ears.

Plus, it gives a very wrong notion of your personality. Dragging your feet literally means you are careless and you have no motto in life. Or, it can also put your forward as a sickly person. And, that is definitely what you do not want to project, irrespective of the truth!

Analyzing the Body Language is something which comes naturally to all humans and we are used to summing up and judging the person and it is a human nature to exaggerate the negatives they can find then and there! So, better not give another negative to add to which is simply non-ingratiating.

What's your Say?

Kiya Bath n Body Oats Milk n Lavender Soap {Product Review}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:14:13 PDT

Pros

gentle on skin

does not dry out the skin

Ingredients

My Experience

Writing a review on soaps is difficult when it comes to the handmade soaps. Handmade soaps are all good when made in the right way and this one falls in the same category.

It lathers very less but cleanses well. It is gentle on skin and at least now I do not feel any need for moisturizer. I can make do with out it but that might not apply for winter months.

And, I felt as if one side of the soap has some granules like a scrubbing part or something but I can't be sure coz they are too small. Anyways, about the lasting period, the product worked for me for 15 days with twice a day of usage so it is like all other handmade soaps in my experience.

Availability

Location - Plot No.74, Road No.5, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Also, if you are interested to get the products, you can contact Bindu via facebook.

PS: Product sent by brand for consideration.

Rustic Art Spa and Lotus Organic Bathing Soaps

Neev Almond Rose, Lemongrass and Patchouli Handmade Soaps

Remove pesticides from Oranges {Reader's Tip}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:30:00 PDT

Hey Everyone. Firdaus left a very useful tip to remove pesticides from oranges. Check it out.

I'd love to share something very important with u and with all the visitors on your blog. You r right when u said we dont have organic oranges available in India. But there is a way to remove the pesticides from oranges or any fruit or vegetable we eat. Take oranges in a big bowl or bucket, pour white vinegar, add some baking powder to it and table salt. mix it in water and leave for 10-15 mins. Before throwing water, rub the oranges nicely with your hand. Now rinse with fresh water 2-3 times and your oranges are free of pesticides. To make your "anti-pesticide liquid" more powerful, u can add some lemon juice. This is the best home made method based on my research to remove pesticide. Stay healthy and beautiful :)

You are right, Firdaus. Baking powder and vinegar do help to remove a bit of pesticides. Fruits having an outer covering are free from sprinkled pesticides. But, this method can be tried on grapes.

But, I have to add here that this method would work only if the pesticides are on the outer covering of the fruits. If they are absorbed by the fruits in the process of plant growth, it is impossible to remove those absorbed pesticides.

What do you think, guys?

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Get bouncy hair without hot tools

Aloevera for Skin and Banana Hair Pack

Facials from the fridge

Re-application of Sunscreen {Sunscreen}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:30:01 PDT

Treat this as the second part to yesterday's sermon on sunscreen. Sometimes I do feel my posts sound like sermons? It's ok. You need not be polite :P Anyways, lets proceed.

So, where was I? Yeah, I was talking about how much sunscreen to apply. I finished with that and left you to think about re-application! This is probably one of the most frustrating routines of skin care. And, there are quite many roadblocks to reapply sunscreen.

I have makeup on!

Sunscreen is supposed to go under makeup and not over, right? So, how can I reapply it? Well, fair enough!

Its so yucky!

The two finger rule itself not being enough, you have to apply the same amount of sunscreen every two hours. How many layers of stickiness should I have on?

Fortunately, quite a lot of high-end sunscreens are coming matte. So, you can probably go with reapplications. But, seriously, I am the wrong person to answer this.

I use Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Face Screen and one pump of it itself makes my face oily after a few minutes and using more of it is way too difficult. I have tried re-application but honestly my work place also doesn't facilitate the process.

Taking a sunscreen bottle to the washroom kinda looks weird to me. I don't do touch-ups there so I have only one application and the days I try re-applying, the tint gets too much for the skin and either it shows up as patches or white cast!

One of the ways to reapply the sunscreen is by removing the previously applied layer. Well, there is a huge hitch in that. If you have makeup on, you can obviously not remove the entire thing and reapply so that goes a little impractical as well.

So, the answer again comes back to the same thing - apply according to your schedule and amount of time you would be spending outside. If you stay inside, there is no need for re-application. But, you might go for just one thin layer so as to protect yourself from the light and computer radiations.

But, you have a team outing or a shopping spree planned, you can go for a thick application. In such cases, always make sure you have applied a thicker-than-usual amount of sunscreen and follow with lighter makeup. Also, make sure that the loose powder you do touch-ups with has adequate protection.

Though, I would like to make another point here. Just as a bit of sunscreen doesn't really provide any protection, a bit of loose powder dusted on the face doesn't give spf 25 amount of protection. For that much of protection, you need almost 1/4th of the product quantity.

What do you do? Do you re-apply your sunscreen? How do you protect yourself when outside all day long?

Related Posts:

Application of Sunscreen

What happens when you do not use Sunscreen?

Sunscreen Regulations in India

Application of Sunscreen {Sunscreen}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:17:21 PDT

How can any summer pass-by without me talking about sunscreen :-O That would be a travesty :D Anyways, the reason I did not write about sunscreen till now is first because I wasn't serious on the blog and second I have written so much on the topic last year. So, if you missed it, you can check out the entire list of posts here.

Anyways, coming back to today's topic, one thing I have always remained indecisive about is how much sunscreen should be applied. Last time I wrote about this topic, I mentioned the two fingers rule. But, that is actually impractical and I had realized it long back. But, I still tried my best to keep up with it!

But, I was always skeptical and I read a lot on that topic. So, here are my pennies on it.

Two finger rule holds

Yes, you actually have to apply that much sunscreen to give yourself optimum protection. But, re-application is necessary.

Apply according to the Day's Schedule

If you know you are going to spend the entire day in hot sun, you SHOULD follow the above rule. And, if you already know you will sit inside the house or office and roam only till the in-house canteen or washroom, you can apply enough to cover yourself for the time you are outside.

So, decide according to your needs and schedule. Do not follow any rule blindly but don't take things in a stride and ignore them either! Its a very delicate balance.

What if my day is unplanned?

Yes, this is worst of the situations! And, always remember that applying sunscreen doesn't prevent tanning. And, just like you are always ready when it comes to waxing your legs or getting your facials done on time, same rule applies here as well.

Apply sunscreen everyday whether you go out or not and if the outing is sudden, just make do with as much application as possible in the bare minimum of the time. This is where physical sunscreens come more effective as well.

They start working as soon as you apply them whereas the chemical ones need 20-30 minutes of incubation to start working. And, then, when you are outside for the entire day, make sure you reapply the sunscreen every two hours and follow the two finger rule on all parts of the body, specially which are naked.

So, how much amount of sunscreen do you apply everyday?

Sunscreen Regulations in India

Sunscreen and Myths

How to treat a water burn? {Skin Care}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:00 PDT

So, on Thursday evening, I inadvertently placed my hand under a running hot water tap and the water was scalding hot. And, it burned my hand for almost a second. But, that was itself enough to burn the hand.

And, that was when I realized that how much can an acid burn scorch the body! The skin on the top wasn't affected at all. I didn't get any peeling or any blisters but under the skin it was burning like hell!!

Anyways, I tried out quite a few remedies to improve the condition. Let me discuss them.

Aloevera Gel

Incidentally, when my hand burnt, I didn't really care much for it. I went on with my usual activities of having bath and getting relaxed in the evening, all with a burning hand. Then, I applied the Rustic Art aloevera gel.

But, honestly, it didn't really help much. It was cool for a second and back to square one next! Though, I don't really think it is meant to help with deeper burns! May be aloevera gel from leaf helps though can't say much but it does soothe superficial burns.

Ice and Iced Water

Well, this was my savior. I have, god knows, wasted how much water that day. But, keeping cold ice on the hand wasn't really easy either. It hurts equally. This I did when I told my mom about my burnt hand.

And, later, when I was going to bed, I wrapped my hand with wash cloth soaked in ice water. This I kept on changing till I slept off. I kept a very huge bowl of cold water by the bed to dip the hand if I felt any burning. Fortunately, I slept off.

Toothpaste

Not the gel ones but the regular white toothpaste. I did apply quite a bit of it but I don't really think it helped me at all.

Vinegar diluted in Water

Apparently, this helps! Vinegar acts as a painkiller so if you get a painful burn, you can bathe the burn with water diluted with vinegar. I did pour some vinegar once into the iced water I was using but can't say how much helpful it was.

Sensitivity after the Burn

Ok, those were the few things I did. Honestly, had not my friend insisted so much on the ice water, I would probably have let go of the remedies after an hour only :D

Anyways, the next morning when I got up, I was expecting my skin to be peeling off from the hand but fortunately there was not even a small blister over there. No redness, no scar, nothing!

The only thing was the area was bloody sensitive and if it touched water, I would feel a discomfort. And, I was irritated the entire day because of the slight discomfort I was feeling in the hand.

So, one thing I learnt from the story was that you can burn yourself anytime so always keep a burnol or something else at hand so that it really helps. Once, I remember, a drop of oil fell on my hand when I was frying something. I didn't do anything and the scar is still there!

So, have you burnt yourself ever? How did you deal with it?

Just Gossip Vol. 14 - What did you do this weekend?

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Sun, 12 May 2013 11:30:01 PDT

Please don't get bored by my rantings! I just felt like gossiping with you :)

ME? I didn't do anything much but my Saturday was bad! My personal laptop had decided to break its hinge long while back and I had just delayed taking it to the service center.

Finally, I did that last week and guess what HP people say! They were overcharging for the repair by almost 1/4th of the price of the laptop! So, I decided to give a local shop a try.

But, can you imagine that I found two of the bushes on which the laptop rests on the bottom were missing when I was in that other shop and that was mistake of the service center guys. I was so infuriated.

I again rushed back to the service center and back to that shop. Finally, gave the laptop for repair and praying it wouldn't cost me exorbitant. And, finally, I went to Godrej Nature's Basket (GNB) on my way back.

I love the shop for the yummy cheeses they have. This time I got Gouda chilli. Its seriously yummmm. And, I got litchies as well but damn expensive over there. I was hoping to see some exotic fruits but none.

They had cherries which was like a box complete which is impossible for me to finish. And, there were blueberries. Too few for the cost. And, there was something called mulberry. I don't know what they are but looked like jamun to me.

And, then, I went to Inorbit. I splurged on Caca Maroon finally and a book. Overall, a very hectic day in hot sun and the best/worst part was I couldn't get a cab coz they were overbooked! Traveling in public transport has a different charm altogether.

Oh btw, yesterday, I applied Caca Maroon. I kept it for 5 hours almost and still no color as predicted. I told you, right, that Lush Cacas give color only after applying them twice or thrice in a row! It's a mess but I love it. I still have to see if my hair has got any benefits.

So, how was your weekend? What did you do?

Just Gossip Vol. 11 - Sneak peek into upcoming posts!!

Just Gossip Vol. 10 - Whats up?

Homemade Castile Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:30:02 PDT

Guest Post by Waseema

This is the first time that I am writing a review and I am excited and nervous at the same time. Today I would like to review a pure olive oil soap also called Castile Soap handmade by me at home.

Why I got into soap making is because my daughters aged 5 yrs and 1 yr have very sensitive skin and any soap I use caused dry flaky skin or dry patches with redness and itching on them.

The soaps I make are cold process soaps which have a high percentage of glycerin in it as a result of the saponification process. Hence, these soaps are very conditioning and do not dry out skin unlike commercial soaps.

Ingredients

Saponified oils of olive, castor, lye and distilled water. Unscented, Uncolored.

My Experience

This soap does not lather like the commercial soaps as it contains 90% olive oil, but the addition of castor oil helps with bubbles as seen in the picture above. If you use a pouf/nylon mesh scrubber you can get decent lather. Though this soap does not lather much but it cleanses very well and does not dry the skin.

Ever since my daughters have been using this soap their skin is behaving well and does not break out in itchy rashes or flaky patches. I would recommend this soap for babies and those with sensitive and dry mature skin. Overall this works as a great soap for all skin types.

Editor's Note: This is so true. Read what I wrote about the difference between soaps and bathing bars.

Due to high glycerine content these soaps melt very easily and to keep it around longer you have to avoid holding it in the shower stream, and make sure that you store it on a well-draining soap dish, or else it can end up in a gloppy mess.

I make these soaps at home. Currently I have a batch that’s cured and ready to be used. You can check more pictures here. If you would like to buy them, let me know.

Price: Rs 99 for 80gms

Thank you so much for reading my review!
Luv,
Waseema.

Editor's Note: Thanks a lot Waseema for letting us know about the castile soaps. They are indeed really awesome!

My Hair Diary - April 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:30:00 PDT

No snaps this time! Apologies! Anyways, I did not really take that much care of my hair as I did in March. I did not do anything special for my hair except once treating it with egg and musk root. Btw, egg with musk root and ginger essential oil did not really stink!

What else did I do?

Since summers are a bane for me, I made do with a few drops of Navratan oil almost twice or thrice a week. Seriously, it helps with tiredness and mild insomnia! The review will come in due time.

And, no, I do not wash my hair daily even though I sometimes really wish it. One tip is just let the sweat on the scalp dry out before you tie your hair. And, keep the scalp clean. Itching can be considered an indication to wash the hair. And, for some, I think the hair be better washed everyday if they travel daily in lot of sun and pollution.

Oh btw, I have also been taking some supplements of which I shall talk in another post so stay tuned!

Products Used

Shampoo - Organic Surge Moisture Boost

Conditioner - Kamini Conditioner

Leave-in and Scalp Treatment - Soulflower Grapeseed Oil with Rosemary EO + Soulflower Pomegranate Seed Oil

Hair Oil - Neelibrigandi + Navratan Oil

Related Posts:

My Hair Diary - March 2013

My Hair Diary - February 2013
My Hair Diaries - January 2013

Have you been a parlour girl to anyone? {Your Opinion}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:00:02 PDT

Have you ever been a parlor girl for your friend or mom or dad, may be? I have! And, on the weekend, I did something which I had never done! I applied henna on my friend's hair with an application brush minus the gloves!

Results? Fingers and nails which are orange-y! And, I have gotta an engagement to attend in a week! Anyways, when I was henna-ing my friend, this idea struck me. So, this is my question to you all. Have you done any beauty parlor services to anyone?

As regards me, apart from this experience, I am a very good masseur. I don't know about the body yet but head yes. I give a really good head massage :) I did that for my mom, my dad and some of my friends. And, every time I do it to someone else, I always wish if there was someone who would do it to me as well :)

Waxing is not my cup of tea, though! It requires quite a stroke to pull that piece of strip and it hurts when you yank so that is something I don't think I can do! But, yes, I have also done facial but I don't remember doing it to someone else. Though, I do wish I do want to do it to my mom! She is one woman doesn't really bother about herself but still looks awesome!

And, oh yeah, what about hair styles? I was always a guinea pig for the new styles. I hardly did trials on someone else and then lately I learned some of the new styles which I tried on my hair only! So, sadly, I would love to have a guinea pig for myself but this is where I miss sisters most! Having sisters makes life really easy for maintaining a routine, right?

So, what about you? Have you been a parlor girl to anyone else? Do you find it fun?

PS: I am sorry but I am not able to check the mails or comments. Please give me sometime. Net sucks over here and the entire weekend was a huge waste of time! I wasn't able to check or reply to the comments. Shall do so soon enough and let you know and sorry!! :(

5 Do's and Dont's for Hair {Five Series}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:30:01 PDT

It has been ages since I have written any hair care post! But, this year, I have resolved to take more care of my hair. Good news is I am partly succeeding in the resolve.

Last month, sometime, I went to the Arya Vaidya Sala store where an Ayurvedic doc also sits. I consulted him for hair growth. So, following are the tips he gave regarding the hair well-being. They are something we already know but I would like to re-iterate them.

Exercise and Weight Loss

Always keep yourself active and take care of your weight. It is extremely important for healthy hair growth and the overall well-being of the person. Also, exercise improves the blood circulation and carries more oxygen to the scalp and hair follicles.

Tip: Get a relaxing hair massage or use essential oils for improved oxygen flow to the scalp!

No Sugar, Salt and Spices

They interfere with your body's proper functioning and affect the digestive system as well. Salt bloats you, sugar increases the insulin which leads to hair loss and spices make your digestion haywire. So, make sure you eat balanced nutritional diet keeping all the spices, salt and sugar in control.

Note: You need only 1gm salt in a day which naturally is available to the body without the need to add extra salt!

Oiling the Scalp

Applying a few drops of lighter oils at night like grapeseed or argan oil which improve hair growth is good for hair. They nourish the scalp and improve the hair growth. It is especially important for dry hair as the new growth would have better moisture levels.

Tip: Using essential oils with the oil improves the hair growth. Peppermint and Rosemary are especially helpful!!

Get a health checkup done!

PCOS, thyroid, diabetes are some of the issues which can cause hair loss and impede hair growth. So, if you are facing any such problem, it is always good to get a health checkup done. Prevention is better than cure! But, a proper health checkup is recommended only when the hair loss or itching or dandruff or any other issue is more than normal.

Tip: Make sure you are exercising properly and eating well and drinking a lots of water because more often than not we do not take care of the normal routine and rush to the doctor for every small thing!!

Drink lots of water

Yes, very very important! Hyderabad is so damn hot that I am literally gulping down the water every 15 minutes and the worst part is everything is evaporating :( It is becoming really difficult but this way I am at least intaking a lot of water.

Tip: Drink green tea, watermelon juice, cucumber juice or eat cucumber or kakdi or coconut water!

What are your tips for hair growth?

Do you use moisturizer in summers? {Your Opinion}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:30:01 PDT

Ok, I will be a very bad beauty blogger if I say no! But, the sad truth is yes, I am not using moisturizer these days, neither on face or body! It is so damn hot and my exposure to air conditioning is quite minimal.

In the morning, my routine is to apply the sunscreen right after stepping out from shower. I am using MVO Moisturizing Face Screen which needs an oil base to go smoothly on skin. But, even if I apply a drop of oil, my skin turns out oily after 10 minutes so I found out a new base to apply. I am using Maybelline on the face instead of only the eyes as it is meant for! Honestly, it is totally matte and blends really well with the skin giving me a smooth base for the sunscreen application. And, finally, my skin is not THAT oily either at the end of the ritual.

And, at night or in the evening, I use coconut oil to remove the sunscreen so I slather it in a decent quantity for 5 minutes and remove with a tissue paper. And, go for a face wash. After that, IF I feel like which is not quite often, I wipe my face with a toner which totally makes the skin feel heavy! So, no place for any mositurizer.

And, the story of a body lotion is altogether different, laziness being the foremost reason. And, I think I was using Nivea for dry skin couple of days back which was in March probably. And, obviously, it was not a great choice for summers! It made my skin feel really sticky so I started skipping the entire routine instead of just changing the product! Now, I am using a lighter lotion but I still do not use it everyday.

Btw, someone told me Vaseline Aloevera is a decent choice right now in Hyderabad weather. I was thinking of getting it but have not yet implemented the thought! I thought at least a small bottle would serve as a hand cream but nope! I am using the Vaseline cocoa butter which my friend has in the office which is obviously again not a great choice!

Btw, which hand cream are you using? Or, are you using it? If you are not, I have to say that at the very least keep on moisturizing your hands because they get extremely dry because of all the work they do and the constant washing they undergo! I had stopped moisturizing my hands totally till few days back and I realized they were looking so 70-year old!! So, that is something one has to do consistently. Now, my hands are a little better.

I know not moisturizing is a cardinal sin when it comes to skin care and would never ever ask you to resort to it. But, then I got thinking what exactly is necessary at this point? Moisturization or Hydration? Are they both different? My skin does get dry! It is not like its a pan of oil but somehow it ends up getting hydrated from inside so I don't really feel uncomfortable. Then, do I need moisturization in such a case?

Now, its your TURN! What do you do? Do you also skip your moisturization due to heat or humidity or laziness? Or, you try to follow the routine religiously whether you feel dry or NOT?

Acne Skin Care Infographic

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:01 PDT

Just Gossip Vol. 13 - Do you watch movies on weekdays?

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:30:01 PDT

Watching a movie late into the night on a weekday is amazingly invigorating when you are totally stressed out from daily routines. Me and my friend had tried it a few weeks back with Pyar ka Panchnama. Even though we had seen the movie earlier, we laughed into fits while watching it again!!

And, then, I watched Nautanki Saala on Thursday night!! Few scenes were damn funny, btw! But, the girl was so dumb. I mean seriously how can any guy fall for such a brainless hotness!! I mean I did not really expect something so dumb from Ayushmaan Khurana :(

The part where the destructive Mandar climbs few stories to Nandini's house was fun when compared to the sneaky-ness of RP. But, the chemistry between the lead pairs is really off (I can't even find a word for the disaster it is!).

The girl doesn't even know how to act or express and the guy is hopelessly helpless. Even the most romantic scenes were bereft of anything except the physical exhibitions.

Anyways, you talk about your experiences. Have you tried a night show on the weekday? Does it help you cope with stress? Well, if you are a hostelite and studying, this would be a regular routine, I hope! If not, you seriously need to try it :D

Weekend Gossip Vol. 9 - New Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:30:02 PDT

Ok, so, I am really really sorry that I have not been present on the blog very sincerely for the past two months. I think I might make a come back pretty soon so cheers for that!! And, I have already finished with the pile of emails in my mail box.

For those who have sent me queries, please give me this weekend to answer you all. And, thanks a lot for your patience!! And, please forgive me for ignoring you all for so long. Sometimes, time can just fly!!

And, for all you people who have left comments on the blog, thank you so so much. I have a huge backlog of around 500 comments to answer and I have just started with them. So, please please bear with me and I am going to answer each and every one of them and let you know the status ASAP.

Love you all and thanks for all your support!

Weekend Gossip Vol. 6 - On turning 27!

Just Gossip Vol. 10 - Whats up?

My tryst with Natural Shampoos - Some Random Product Reviews - Part V

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:33:37 PDT

So, I have finally used 3 SLS-free shampoos and I decided to put up some words about them. One thing before starting. Please do not expect natural products to perform just like commercial products. They may be better or worse in their own ways.

Soul Tree Triphala Hair Revitalizing Shampoo

Price: Rs 350 for 200ml

My Experience

I had used this shampoo way back in last September and I was really excited to try it out. But, unfortunately, it failed to meet my expectations!! It was drying for my hair and it also did not clean the oil, oil applied on the hair not the natural oil.

Neev Olive Neem Shampoo

Price: Rs 85 for 100ml

My Experience

I finished this product just last month. For a change, it was way better in experience than the previous one. It did not dry my hair a lot and it cleansed the hair well, if oil was not applied on the hair. Hair was bouncy and soft after the wash.

click on picture to enlarge to read text clearly!

But, it cleanses only little of the applied oil which was sad. But, it lathers really well and smells of rosemary. And, I used to use it on the days when I was in hurry and had no time to oil my hair!

Organic Surge Moisture Boost Shampoo

Price: Rs 625 for 250ml

My Experience

The only answer to this product is I am liking it. And, it has been the best of all the shampoos I have used till date. But, unfortunately, no shampoo has answer to my dry hair :(

It lathers really well with a very less amount of product. And, the quantity is enough to remove the dirt and dust. The best part is it removes the oil, howsoever quantity you might have applied and you do not have to use the shampoo more than twice!

click on picture to enlarge to read text clearly!

Ok, one problem is with packaging. The shampoo starts leaking out as soon as you open the fliptop so it has to be stored properly; upside down! Also, it does give a subtle shine but you have to use the conditioner. Sadly, I did not get the conditioner with it.

Damn, it is expensive!! But, it does last long. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, if you skip the conditioner it makes the hair little frizzy which is sad. Otherwise, it is a decent shampoo which can be given a try!!

What about you? Have you tried using SLS-free shampoos? How do you like it?

Asthma Infographic

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:23:05 PDT

This infographic is shared by Asthma Remedies & Designed by Data Visualization.

Related Posts:
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Blogging Series Vol. 8 - Read and Reread the Posts!

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:30:00 PDT

This is one of the most important tips when you are blogging. This is something I used to not really focus on earlier because I think there was no preview option when I started blogging or may be I was too lazy.

But now that I have that option, I always keep on checking how the final post looks and accordingly I can make the adjustments to the pics sizes and correct any spelling and grammatical mistakes which always occur.

Keeping a check on how the final product looks shows that you are more serious about blogging. And, good language is very very essential. Otherwise, it can be a huge turnoff for people. No one likes excessive grammatical or spelling mistakes. One or two per post is forgivable but if it keeps on occurring in every paragraph, while focus of the reader goes to the next mistake instead of what you are trying to convey.

Also, one of the key tips while writing is to be as precise and short as possible. Try to keep the posts short to 300 to 500 words and wrap up everything in that. If it goes beyond that, turn it into another post. Keep the language simple and easy to understand.

And, keep using the preview option till you are satisfied with the final look of your post. Yes, it takes time but it is satisfying when you see the results! Also, when you reread your post, the ideas start flowing and the shape of your entire post changes as it did with me for this particular post!!

Do you read your posts again and again till you are satisfied with it?

Blogging Series Vol. 6 - How to design the layout of the blog?

Blogging Series Vol. 5 - How to time the posts?

Weekend Gossip Vol. 8 - Was it really Ek Thi Daayan?

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:31:48 PDT

I am a really big darpok!! Anything remotely psychological or horror makes me run away from the place and close my eyes tightly! But, then, some very interesting kind of scary movies spook my interest. One such was the trailer of this movie.

Have to say that its first half is really really amazing! I closed my eyes many times and missed a lot of scenes. The kids were amazing and there is a baby girl in the movie who is just beautiful :) And, kudos to Konkona. She is such an amazing and flawless actor.

Yes, the best part of the movie is just her. And, if you have searched for the reviews of the movie online, they are all correct. The first half of the movie is spooky and its a downhill after that! The climax is said to be amazing at many places but honestly it falls flat on the face.

It is just predictable and hilarious!! Some of the action scenes are borrowed from chinese flicks and some from True Blood. Nothing was remotely scary and in fact you end up gritting your teeth for some action.

But, have to watch the movie for the first half and Konkona. That is gonna be in your mind for a long time even after coming out of the movie. She looks beautiful and her eyes are so expressive; overall a deliciously thrilling package.

Oh, I forgot to mention about the soundtrack. Don't miss the song which plays during the credits in the starting of the movie. And, then, there is Kaali Kaali Aankhon ka Kaala Kaala Jadoo Hai which gets on your lips by the end. And, then, there is a really haunting background score specially associated with Daayans.

Related Posts:

Weekend Gossip Vol. 6 - On turning 27!

Weekend Gossip Vol. 5 - Back to Hyderabad!

Weekend Gossip Vol. 4 - Back from Vacation!

Should you use body powder on face? {Your Opinion}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:30:02 PDT

Ok, so, this was a question asked to me a long time back by a reader. She had asked me if she could use the body powder on the face. I don't even remember what I replied to her. But, I wanted to take up this topic as a post. Why? Because, I remember what I used to do till a couple of years back.

Now, I remember from my childhood that whenever me and my mom used to get ready to go out somewhere, she would always complain my face was looking a bit oily and would ask me to use some powder on face. There used to be face puffs on the dressing table and mom and me used to puff the face with powder. That's nostalgic with the aroma of Pond's dreamflower talc in a foot long tin dabba, remember?

And, then, I used to get all the powder inside my nose and it irritated me for quite sometime!! But, now after these many years and with a lot more awareness, I can safely say body powder should not be used as a face powder. In fact, the body powder which irritates the mucous membranes in the nose should not be used for the body either. Inhaling just anything is as toxic for the body. And, then, these days we have all the scare of body powders having talc which is magnesium silicate which is claimed to be cancerous.

And, also, body powders are not as finely milled as face powders so they do look patchy and then you do not have tints in the body powders. And, then mineral makeup came claiming it has everything friendly for skin. But, unfortunately, it is expensive and did not suit everyone!

PS: Oh btw, did you know that there are colored face powders like yellow, purple, green, lavender, peach, mauve and white and may be many more! They are used for different types of imperfections like dark circles and uneven skin tone among others.

Anyways, what do you use? Have you ever tried body powder on face? Or, you strictly stick to loose powders?

Do you apply Egg on Hair? {Your Opinion}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:30:04 PDT

Hey Everyone! I know I am not being regular with the posts so please bear with me. So, today, I wanted to discuss a very stinky topic. Now, I love watching videos on hair care and reading home remedies for hair care. But, more often than not, you would find egg to be almost one of the best remedies for healthy hair.

Now, I perfectly agree with that because I myself have tried it and I totally love it. But, there is a huge catch with Egg. The Smell. Yeah, you all know how awesome it smells! And, now I am not able to bear it. And, my whole room and bathroom starts stinking so I am not able to use it anymore.

I have been applying curd very regularly in March but sadly it is not helping with the hair dryness. I don't know what's wrong with it because curd works fantastically. And, I do use homemade curd not the yogurts available outside. And, still no benefits. And, I have been seriously thinking of switching to egg. It does help hair dryness and provides nourishment.

But, how to avoid the smell? Well, first is Essential Oils. May be they will work unless egg is so powerful that it will overpower the goodness of EO's :D Ok, second, I heard in one of those home remedy videos that lemon juice helps reduce the stink from egg. Well, I do not know how true it is but seems worth a try. But, there is another catch. Lemon makes the hair extremely dry, at least for me. So, I tend to avoid it.

Or, may be, I would try using egg with musk root this time. And, that would be a working day so that I don't have to bear the egg smell all day long. It would dissipate till the time I am back. Only my maid would be cursing me :D Or, it is also said that if you mix egg with henna, it doesn't stink. So, probably I might go ahead and check out either of the remedies.

What about you? Do you apply egg on your hair? Can you bear the stink or you take some steps to reduce the stink? Would love to hear your remedies :)

Do you get boils on your nose bridge or around in summers? {Your Opinion}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:30:00 PDT

This question is primarily for people who wear glasses. Do the nose pads irritate your skin?

Come summers and this problem gets aggravated for me. The sweat and the heat and constant pressure on the bridge of the nose due to the nose pads creates little bubbles or boils on the skin. And, it constantly hurts me.

The only relief I get is by removing the specs but since I do not use contacts it is definitely difficult. If I sit in air conditioning or in a cool place, it provides little relief. But, if the area has been already inflamed, it hardy helps!! The only remedy to this problem is to remove the glasses and use ice on the boils! And, applying aloevera also helps.

Have you ever faced such problem? What do you do to prevent skin from getting inflamed by friction?

Do you think air makes your hair dry?

Do you find more dirt on your neck than face?

How do you perceive people with fairness products in their hands? {Your Opinion}

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:30:00 PDT

Hey Everyone! Welcome to a brand new week :) And, I am trying to stay a little regular this week. So, lets raise a toast for that!

Anyways, I ran out of my face wash and since I was too lazy to go to the supermarket, I just went to the general store downstairs in the complex and bought the one face wash they had!

And, guess what, it was Pond's White Beauty Facial Foam. I bought it because it has no SLS. But, I did not take any poly bag to carry the items being eco-conscious :)

Now, when I was walking back, it struck me suddenly that what would people think of me seeing the White Beauty face wash in my hands. Not that I am too bothered about what others think but it sounded interesting to read about how you perceive such people!

I think its a very natural thing that if we find fairness products in someone's hands, we automatically check out their complexion and judge whether they really need those products or not! And, if they are even a bit darker, we do think they are interested in getting fair!

But, what would you think about a lady or girl carrying such products? Do you judge them? Or, try to check out their complexion and whether they really need fairness products? Or, do you just ignore it thinking it must have been the only product available in the shop they had to pick up!

What do you say?

Related Posts:

Do you think air makes your hair dry?

Do you find more dirt on your neck than face?

Do you clean your mobile?

My Hair Diary - March 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Swati Murti) — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:49:27 PDT

getting snaps of my hair is damn difficult on the new cam!

So, another month gone! And, this month I was pretty diligent about my hair :) So, yay to that! But, unfortunately I am not as diligent on the posts so you would be missing the posts on Tuesday and Thursdays and weekends. And, I have yet to reply to comments!

What I did?

Moving on, I have been using Organic Surge. Coming up soon with the review. But, I am loving it for now. Its the only SLS-free shampoo I have used till now which actually cleansed the entire oil from the hair and made the hair pretty soft.

Next come the DIY's I did this month. Well, I did get inspired by my friend and tried to take more care of the hair. I got musk root and used it with yogurt as much as possible. And, I used parachute advansed hot oil almost every time I washed the hair. But, not every time!

yeah, that's my hair just after washing without any serum or conditioner!

And, the next thing I followed this month was using Grapeseed oil with Rosemary EO on scalp and Pomegranate oil on the hair as an after-wash hair serum. But, one thing I had neglected was conditioner. I hardly used conditioner.

One thing I noticed about my hair was that I was losing more of my hair if I did not wash it within two days and then it was getting itchy and very dirty. Well, this is what even my colleague complained. She told me that if even a little of sweat gets accumulated on her scalp, she starts losing hair and gets really itchy. And, if she is washing her hair daily, its behaving nicely! Yeah, the question is should we wash our hair daily? Let's see!!

Products Used

Shampoo - Organic Surge Moisture Boost

Conditioner - Kamini Conditioner + Liz Earle Botanical Shine Treatment

Leave-in and Scalp Treatment - Soulflower Grapeseed Oil with Rosemary EO + Soulflower Pomegranate Seed Oil

Hair Oil - Parachute Hot Oil Treatment

Skinetica Anti Blemish Solution {Product Review}

noreply@blogger.com (bebeautiful withpunam) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:33:19 PDT

Product Review by Punam

I was super excited when I received this solution from skinetica as I have oily, acne prone skin and the brand claims to reduce acne in 2-3 days. IS this really true? Let’s find out!

Price: £9.99 (Rs 840) for 100 ml

Ingredients
Purified water, Ethyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Quaternary Ammonium Chloride

My husband told me that Quaternary Ammonium Chloride is an anti-microbial which kills the bacteria.

My Experience

In a nutshell, its one of the nicest product I have used till now for my oily acne prone skin! It did reduce my acne to 50% in 3 days. It comes in a simple white bottle with a green flip flop cap that may leak if not kept straight.

It smells completely like any chemical would smell and initially it was strong for me but gradually either I got habituated or it became mild. Its consistency and texture is like regular water, transparent and runny.

It has to be applied like a regular toner with a cotton pad. As soon as I apply this, it gets absorbed into my skin with out making it dry. I started using it in last week of February when it was still colder and I expected it to dry my skin but it did not. I apply this after washing my face and my skin is good without a moisturizer. But I still use a moisturizer as a habit.

I have two types of acne - cystic and tiny ones on my forehead. This solution was effective on my cystic acne and reduced their size in 3 - 4 days to 50-60% on using it twice daily. It had no effect on blackheads or tiny acnes on the forehead, though.

As a rule, my skin gets really oily in summers. But, right now my face is not that oily. So, may be this product is helping! I have stopped using it from last 10 days and I can still feel less oil.

One more important thing which I noticed was that before and during my periods, I did not breakout which I usually do! And, the only new thing in my routine was this product. So, may be this actually controls bacteria!

Overall my experience with this product was good and I have noticed improvement in my skin texture as well. It is actually an effective solution to reduce acne.

PS: Product sent by brand. Thanks a lot Punam for such a lovely review!