Banjara's Almond Lotion

I've always loved the natural way of  looking good. These days girls are willing to spend $$$$ to look beautiful on their special day. Well, I must say that I've always had a mixed feelings on not doing any facials, bridal , make up or any sort of  paid service for my wedding.

I have seen lots of  brides appearing with a white patched skin on their beautiful day. That really scared me of. Secondly, I did not have much knowledge about beauticians in India/Malaysia. Thirdly , I've always felt comfortable in the way I dress myself.  Anyways.......I was surprised to hear my Indian friends stating that they've spent a bomb of  Rs.1.5 lakhs at Anoos and VLCC for their big day!

Well...it's time I come back to the point on my review of  the Indian beauty cream. Banjara's product recently became a hit in India especially Hyderabad,Chennai,Bangalore.

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I purchased this in Chennai and thought of  giving it a try since it claims to be made of  almonds and saffron (kesar) which is known for it's own health benefit.

The creamy lotion smells so good, truly moisturizing. It's slightly pinkish and disappears in few strokes. I just love the way it gives a glow on my skin. Alas, I found what I really require during the winters months in the US.

Korres Wild Rose Lip Balm

 I recently bought a Korres gift set from Sephora  (the shower gel set ) and included was a full size 6g Wild Rose lip butter. I was so excited to try this as i have read a gazillion rave reviews about the product.
The tub is nice and sturdy and a nice, clean simple design. The colour of the lip butter was a lot darker than i expected, but it came out as a perfect yourlipsbutbetter shade (sorry, i hate that phrase, oops), and is very buttery and smooth and very nourishing, as well as providing a nice healthy colour to your dry lips! 

The Wild Rose scent is very subtle indeed, and once on the lips the smell doesn't transfer to a taste. The smell reminds of of the Rose Turkish delight, yummy!

This is definitely my favourite lip balm compared to the Palmers and Burt's Bee.

Sephora Supreme Body Butter

I've ordered the Ren Glycol Mask online and received a free sachet of Sephora Supreme Body Butter. Nice, rich cream that's not greasy, and is absorbed quickly. It's a great price for a paraben-free product. I barely notice the scent; it's very light and dissipates quickly. It's an awesome product. I'm planning to purchase it after my trip back from Malaysia. I cant be carrying all my beauty products on flights with these days restricted baggages. The bottle is quite big and I'm just waiting to be back to Sephora again!

Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Body Scrub

I'm as much a fan of a tempting glass of vino as the next person but incorporating it into my beauty regime? It's actually nothing new as Caudalie, one's of France's best loved beauty brands and purveyors of all things Vinotherapie, have been encouraging us to utilise by-products of the wine making industry since 1995. One of their bestselling products is Crushed Cabernet Scrub which I've been looking forward to trying for quite some time.

 

I really like how kilner jars look in the bathroom, however, (and I know I bang on about this) tubs simply aren't the most functional presentation method as far as I'm concerned.
The scent is an unusual blend of citrus (it contains lemon and lemongrass essential oils) but also warming, almost medicinal oakiness which hints towards the Cabernet name.
The course granules of crushed Cabernet grape seeds are definitely noticable and it's one of the most effective scrubs I've ever used, although I'm pleased to say that I didn't find it harshly abrasive.
I'm so impressed to note that my skin wasn't just left smoothed, but wonderfully soft also, most likely due to the inclusion of honey in the formula. It's a slight bugbear that the product is described as having slimming effects as let's be honest, how much difference is exfoliating twice a week really going to make if you sit around eating burgers and chips all day? Even taken in context, when used alongside the recommended complementary products, it's a bit of a stretch to claim that this is going to have any more of a slimming effect than massaging in any other scrub on the market.
My other complaint is that, like The Body Shop's Black Olive & Argan Oil Scrub, the granules don't dissolve and therefore, leave a mess in the shower. However, both of these are minor issues which certainly wouldn't put me off repurchasing. At $29.00 for 150g, it's pretty pricey but I do feel that it's worth every penny, particularly given that a little goes a long way.
Overall, I absolutely love this and can't rate it highly enough.

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Mask

When it comes to face masks I’m not hugely experimental nor am I particularly that bothered. When I was younger I did the odd ‘peel-off’ tea tree face masks but more cause I liked the sensation of pulling it off rather than the results! In more recent years I’ve been using the Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask, but I just didn’t really feel that it was potent enough. So two months ago I picked up the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and have been using it weekly (and usually on a Sunday) ever since, here’s the breakdown…

 

REN is definitely a skincare brand that I wish to purchase a few more bits from. Their products are formulated to be free from parabens, sulpahtes, mineral oils, silicones, synthetic colours or fragrances and whole other bunch of bad stuff. I got a sample sachet from Sephora and I may have to pick up the full size.

 

Their Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask contains natural fruit acids from passion fruit, lemon, grape, pineapple and papain from papaya to exfoliate the outer layer of the skin, encouraging cell turnover. So it’s basically a lightly exfoliating mask treatment, which helps to remove dead skin making the complexion look more radiant and combating congestion. Sounds amaze right?

 

When I first used it I was surprised by the consistency, it feels like smothering marmalade over your face – not great. It also tingles quite a bit, and REN do recommend that this isn’t the best mask for sensitive types, however I always just feel like it’s the mask ‘working’, and it wasn’t so bad that I had to remove it.

 

The main thing is how your skin feels when you take it off – and you know what, it feels fab! After using this religiously once a week for two months now, my skin feels smoother and definitely looks more radiant on a Monday morning after using this. It’s something I’m going to continue with and probably repurchase when it’s finished!!

L'occitane Immortelle Scrub

 

I finally got a chance to try the Immortelle Face Brightening Scrub from L’Occitane and I have to say it is soooo worthy of a review! It is AMAZING!! It leaves your skin silky soft after you use it and I did notice my skin start to brighten after about a week of using it every other day. I’m not sure if I was supposed to use it so much, I’m guessing twice a week is healthy, but I could not get over how soft it made my skin (and it is super gentle too)! I even used it on my decolletage and I love it there–trust me, our necks needs the love too! I still have not been able to try the mask yet, although my friends keep raving to me about it (I’ve been going crazy shopping for products recently and I have a lot to try), but I am obsessed with the scrub! After I use it, I notice right away, my skin feels soft and it feels like the dead skin that might be there is gone!
If you are looking for a scrub that is gentle, yet still effective, this would definitely be your answer! I can’t think of anything I would change about it, except maybe make the tube even bigger I have been trying a lot of different scrubs lately and this one just takes the cake! Love this seriously!

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish

 

Ever since I found out that my favourite makeup line, Benefit were launching a new skincare range I have been pathetically excited, and when I passed by my local counter on Thursday afternoon to find they had samples of some of the products there for us to try , my day was made! I absolutely love the look and feel of this packaging, all the mint green and faux cork caps - they'll look so pretty around my sink!

 

I got a sample to try out from the Macy's counter at Valley Fair.

 

 

It left my skin feeling firm and exfoliated, but not painful in a way that I have never experinced with any other exfoliatior before. The beads were smaller and gentler than my Clinique Sparkle Skin exfoliater which is painful, and it was light, creamy and smelt lovely. I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on this product, as well as the rest of the range and I'm pretty sure they will replace Clinique products as my skincare staple. I tried the Total Moisture Face Cream while I was at the counter, and it had such a nice smooth texture, was brightening, moisturizing and smelt really nice and light too!

L'Occitane Shea Butter cream.

This is truly a hero product. I've always thought that the handcreams are greasy and oily. I did try the other superstore brands but it left my palms oily where I get irritated to drive! I stopped using handcreams and recently the harsh winter has left my hands super dry and it's quite painful to manage the cracks between the thumb! I was wrong about the handcreams till I was given a free L'Occitane Shea Butter cream @ Stanford Mall.

An award winning L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. I fell in love with it and I am already planning buying more, as I want the smaller size for my handbag. It smells amazing and makes my hands feel really soft.

Imagine the most luxury hand cream you can think of! This is it! The best hand cream I've ever tried. The formula is rich and creamy and it sinks into the skin really fast, leaving my hands silky soft! Now I know why it won so many awards. It smells absolutely beautiful, kind of nutty but flowery and sweet at the same time. Every time I use it, I keep sniffing my hands. A little goes a long way. The amount you can see on the pictures above is enough to moisturise your full hands and elbows. I always moisturise my elbows when I use hand cream :) You can also use it on your knees and any dry areas of your body. I use it on my ankles- they are really dry for some reason:(

You should definitely try this and I bet you'll be pleased with the results! The travel size costs only $10. Though they have the bigger size at $28 , I prefer the travel size because it easily fits into my handbag. Just love it, truly wonderful on my skin and my skin appreciate them!

L'Occitane Amande Shower Oil.

Hey lovelies, today's review is going to be all about a product that I have been loving a lot lately. This is the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil which is my absolute favorite product to use in the shower. Keep reading if you want to know what I think about this product :)

The Almond Shower Oil is a shower oil that transforms into a lavish, softening foam that gently cleanses your skin leaving it with a satiny softness. I absolutely love how soft, moisturized and pampered my skin feels after using this product and it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy at all which is a huge plus.

 

The smell is one off the things that I love and adore about this product. It has a divine flowery almond scent that is soft, subtle and feminine and it lasts on my skin for hours after I have stepped out off the shower. It’s no wonder that this product is one of L’Occitane’s bestsellers.

If you have dry skin like me, this will help keep it soft, moisturized and hydrated. The packaging allows you to control the amount of product you want to use, that way you wont waste any off your precious product. If you want to try out this product but you don't want to spend too much money on it before you know if you like it or not, I highly recommend that you pick up the travel size. You get 35ml off product which is quite a lot off product. I have used mine several times and I still have a lot off product left in my bottle. The great thing about this shower oil is that you don't need to use very much as it foams and lathers beautifully. This is a product that is going to last you a long time and its definitely worth the money :)

I'm so in love with this product and I hope L'Occitane never stops making it.

Blackheads

Crunchy Betty gives a pretty good run down of what exactly those little black things are:

Blackheads are just pimples that don’t have skin over them. That’s all they are. Because there’s no skin, and they’re exposed to the air, the top layer of gunk in your pores oxidizes and turns that darkish black color.
 

We still have so much complains about the blackheads that bug us now and then, even after bidding goodbye to teenage years ! Recently the doctors have introduced the baking soda as the nature's nurture for curing blackheads.

 Make exfoliation as part of the weekly routine. MILK & NUTMEG
 - I know I can talk about this but when it comes to doing it myself, the laziest on earth! Sometimes with the short of time, lack of  motivation or not in mood. I think many of us are there in the same boat. Especially for oily skin and getting rid of blackheads. Nutmeg helps get rid of the oil, offers the scrubby power, and leaves behind really smooth skin. The lactic acid in milk helps break down old skin cells so they disappear when you rinse your face. If you really want to take it up a notch, use buttermilk instead of regular milk (it contains even more lactic acid).

You could also use: Baking soda and water, lemon juice and sugar, or salt and sour cream.
How you do it: Simply combine your “scrubby” ingredient with your liquid/wet ingredient until you have a thin paste. Starting with a clean face, rinse it once with water, and then begin to apply your exfoliator in light, circular motions.
Concentrate on the blackheads, but remember to use a very light touch. Too rough, and you could damage your skin.
Do this for 3-5 minutes. Rinse well. Enjoy your clean face.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Mask

This is truly a winner. I've just love going to the Stanford Shopping Mall. I'm lucky that I decided to go to the mall just for a coffee @ Starbucks and guess what.......the Caudalie there actually gave away some samples at Sephora. Yay!

So, I've been loving their products so far. I know that they are free of  parabens and other dangerous chemicals. Caudalie is pregger friendly and safe to be used on sensitive skin.

I’ve been using this mask for 2 weeks and I have to say, it’s pure perfection! Oh Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Revealing Mask how I love thee. My skin can be fairly sensitive and it hasn’t caused any irritation, it leaves my skin exfoliated and glowing, and it helps to reduce the appearance of my large pores.

It's costly ($42)  but a little goes a long way. This is a clear mask, just leave on for 10 mins and wash it off. I discovered a smooth, soft and clean skin. Will buy this for sure!

Himalaya Herbals

There are many people out there who swear by the effectiveness of Himalaya products. The one featured here is another one of those trusted products – Himalaya Herbals Face Moisturizing Lotion. My words are , it does what it claims. The lotion is helping out me to recover the dryness of  harsh winter season. Though my skin is oily , the surface seems to appear drier. Himalaya lotion is

• Non greasy.
• Protects your skin from damage caused by pollution and harsh sun rays.
• Anti oxidant properties nourish the skin.
• Makes skin soft and smooth.
• Perfect as a base for makeup.
• Hypoallergenic.

The moisturizer comes in a white bottle with a green flip open cap, which is easy to use. It is quite tight and does not leak at all.The lotion is quite light and is easily absorbed into the skin, and does not leave a shiny/oily residue. It gives a moisturized look and my skin feels smooth and cool after application. This helps the claim that it is a good base for makeup. But since this doesn’t offer sun protection, you would have to ensure that the makeup you use has SPF. Also, due to being hypoallergenic, it doesn’t create any irritation at all and is safe for sensitive skin.The lotion has a pleasant fragrance, but it doesn’t last long after it is absorbed. This moisturizer does not have other variants and is specified for all skin types. However I think it's a little greasy for oily skin during the summer months.

The Neem Scrub

It is an off white gel like consistency scrub which has minute green and orange coloured particles, the greens are available in plenty whereas the orange ones are quite less in number. As, I mentioned earlier, I have oily skin so I was a little sceptical in giving it a try but finally I conjured up the strength and squeezed good amount to apply on the face. Once I applied, it did not feel scratchy on my skin at all, I started liking it from the very first stint I had with it. Also, I liked the mild fresh fragrance this scrub exuded, I could actually smell fresh neem leaves. It did not sting my entire face only a slight sensation was felt on the sides of the nose. I rubbed for 2 minutes and washed off my face. My face came out so clean and my nose was particularly softer, I followed it up with Himalya Neem face pack, though instantly I coudn’t notice any major difference apart from my nose feeling softer. When I got up in the morning I noticed that the smaller zists had dried up and my blackheads were considerably less visible. However, it did not shrink my relatively larger pores.
I have been using this scrub for the past 10-12 days and I think I have found the scrub for my skin!