Skincare

My Skin Care & Makeup Hits of 2022 | Diwablog 1

/ Srishty / 2 Comments

Sounds like an year end post, but let’s take it as a mid-year taking stock, shall we? I am going to dive right into it, please tell me your skin care & makeup hits in the comments! I would love to know yours.

Also, go till the end to see the star of this post!

Shesha Ayurveda Rose Water: Admittedly, I haven’t used a wide variety of rose waters, but this is a way purer upgrade than the widely popular Dabur Gulabari. Now, to be honest, I consider this also expensive for something as frivolous as rose water, but considering people are into buying rose water from way more expensive brands in India, I would consider this a sweet spot – pure as well as not super expensive. I wholeheartedly recommend.

Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia: I have already talked about it in my favorites here. Jo Malone fragrances are love. Nothing more to be said. As I am exploring more fragrances by them, its becoming increasingly difficult to choose just one as the most favorite.

Earth Rhythm Sunscreen: Its difficult to explain my love for this one. I basically started using this brand for supporting a cause. Have written about it here. I have lately started to feel that it doesn’t stand for that anymore. However, like I have mentioned in the post as well, I use some of their products for the feel good factor and that’s where this sunscreen comes in. I’ll stop using this the moment I find a better alternative but here’s why I love it – extremely comfortable on skin, no white cast, some people say it makes my face glow. As for helping with tanning, I don’t know. I have never felt with any sunscreen that they help me with strong sun rays.

Aroma Magic Sunscreen Cucumber: This was a fun product to use – what I mean is this brand has been in our lives since a long time, probably when our parents were kids but it has evolved over time to suit the customer demands, be it in terms of products or packaging. I admire them for it, their jazzy packaging is always appreciable and for this one, I loved both the fragrance and feel of the sunscreen on my face. Not to mention this product is extremely cheap!

Disguise Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette: This is one of those eco-conscious, new-age, hipster cosmetics brands in India and I just happened to try it randomly. To be honest, the eyeshadows are very basic, nothing amazing and nothing bad but they still feature on my favorites purely and purely for the packaging. I mean look at it!

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My holographic makeup box is pretty (and entirely the reason for buying it 😦 )

Fashion Color Makeup Spray: The star of this post. Here’s the story on how I ended up using and loving this completely local, unknown makeup spray that I seem to love more than the Benefit Super Setter. There, I said it. I basically was at a local cosmetics shop near my home a couple of days before my wedding to get a few jewelry pieces rented that we didn’t get made as part of my customized gold and diamond polki set (examples) (those were things like headpieces which don’t get used later on). In India, its pretty common for some local cosmetics shops to have these things as well. So, I was there for that and my mom and I just happened to discuss that I am going to buy a makeup setting spray. This woman at the counter overheard us and she literally forced me to buy this particular makeup setting spray. I was not keen as it was an unheard of brand but I went along since there was no reason why she would force as buying another brand would have meant more money for her. Its one of the best makeup products I have used over the years in terms of ‘getting the job done’. I don’t know if its available outside India, but I have linked it so that you can see how it looks and purchase it whenever you see it!

That’s it from my side, now its your turn! 🙂

Posts I worked hard for but didn’t get the love | Blogmas 3

/ Srishty / 2 Comments

I have been meaning to do this post since a long time because there are some old posts on this blog which have a common theme – they are long and very word heavy, took me a long time to write but they barely got any love. Now I understand that I haven’t been getting any traction since the recent past because I post very inconsistently and, in such scenarios, not getting any traction is sort of anticipated. However, the posts I am mentioning are from the time when I expected traction.

I have decided to link them here today in the hope that you would be considerate enough to read them. 🙂

The Tale of the most ornate blouse: you know what, I would love to write more posts like this as I love restyling clothes. Loved the concept of reuse and reduce before it became cool.

Blogmas Day 5 | My 2020 Favorites! The year that was!: Why did this post not get the love it deserves? Who doesn’t want to know other people’s favorites? 😀

My 2 year long relationship with Earth Rhythm: A recent post which is detailed on a skin care brand My Hair Story & the entry of a recent miracle

My Hair Story & the entry of a recent miracle: this is a very, very old post and my hair care routine (or the lack of one – it’s just oil and shampoo) has seen many new things since then. Recent addition – a blue hair color. Seems like a good idea to document that. 😀 That aside though, this post may still be relevant for someone with similar hair, so, go read maybe?

My 2 year long relationship with Earth Rhythm

/ Srishty / 3 Comments

Earth Rhythm is a skincare brand in India (previously known as Soapworks India). Their brand ethos is to create non-toxic skin care products that can be used by anyone who is sensitive to OTC skincare. I think it launched because the founder’s son had a syndrome due to which he couldn’t use OTC skincare.

I have been using Earth Rhythm for more than 2 years and I remember that because I started using their products right after my wedding. It was when this brand was known as “Soapworks India”, in case anyone knows. Just for the record, I loved the older name more.

I started using them simply because I loved their eco-friendly packaging at that time and not just because it was sustainable but also because the packaging was hell cute while being at it. I decided to write this post essentially for two reasons –

  • I have used a lot of products from their product lines. Something that would be true for very few cosmetic brands as I use very few products in general and they are usually picked with a purpose in mind, so they may or may not be from a single brand.
  • At the time Earth Rhythm launched, it was a fairly new concept in India – Indian skin care brands that are standalone and Indie and running their own production for whatever reason (Sustainability, clean beauty – a term I am not aligned to btw)

As I mentioned, I wanted to buy their first product because of their beautiful packaging but I ended up picking a basic looking moisturizer as I needed one at the time. I ended up enjoying it. I have several empty jars of the same stashed at my home even now (they were running a recycling campaign at that time so I saved them but they shut that campaign due to COVID).

Since then, I have used their cleansing balms, lip tint, a propolis serum, their solid shampoo bar (one of their cult products) and one sunscreen. I have also recommended their shampoo bars to curly haired friends because I see rave reviews online by curly haired people and my friends loved the bars. I think I am in a good position now to say what I feel about their products –

1. I love using most of their products. Almost all of the products have a soothing feeling to them. You know, like instant feel good on application.

2. What baffles and disappoints me as a customer is that almost none of the products have stood out for me as a solution to a problem. Not even the lip tint. The lip tint gave very basic tint which was barely visible after few minutes and because their products are formulated in a ‘natural’ way, the lip tint formulation in the pot also changed pretty quickly. I loved using the moisturizer, sunscreen, the cleansing balm and propolis serum because of the way they felt on my skin, so soothing and loving, but they didn’t do anything as a problem solution. For example, one of the cleansing balms mentions black head removal on usage which I don’t think I was even counting on and, of course, it didn’t happen. Essentially, I would not go for these products if I was looking for a solution to acne, wrinkles etc.

3. This brings me to my third and most important point. What do you feel about the term ‘clean beauty’ or non-toxic skincare? There are a lot of beauty brands these days who are marketing their products as ‘clean beauty’. This means a product formulated on the principle of “you only put on your skin what you can eat”. I don’t see a very relevant point here and I sort of agree with those beauty gurus who believe in solution based formulations. Just because something is a ‘chemical’ and is not edible, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be put on your skin. In fact, everything is a chemical composition. So why not put something on your skin that’s coming from an expert and is proven to provide a solution to your skin worries? Earth Rhythm is not a brand who harps on the concept of ‘clean beauty’ so it’s not like they are doing any deceptive marketing. But what they do is that they have tried to create a plant based or some other alternative of a proven chemical, something I am not able to appreciate (as i didn’t see a lot of results).

4. Their topmost cult products are their shampoo bars which seem to be working great for a lot of people, including me. I’ll be honest – it’s a pain to use a solid shampoo bar compared to the conventional liquid shampoos that we are used to. Comment below if you would want me to explain how to use solid shampoo bars. Nevertheless, you notice the good effects of a solid bar from the first use itself. Solid shampoo bars in general are less harsh for your scalp and hair, and these Earth Rhythm solid shampoo bars are just gold standard. If you are planning to start your journey with solid shampoo bars, you should definitely try Earth Rhythm’s solid shampoo bars.

In conclusion, I would like to mention that this is a brand I truly enjoy using for the feel good factor and I may continue buying from them, especially things that fit very well into my routine like cleansing balms for makeup removal, reusable cleansing pads, solid shampoo bars etc, but if I was looking for a solution to a skin problem, I would go for solution-based product or, better still, go for dermatologist recommended products.

Don’t miss the no-plastic packaging

Blogmas Day 3| Bedtime Tales

/ Srishty / Leave a comment

Wanted to acknowledge the privilege and the boon of having a calming, fulfilling and happy bed time. Reading my book, browsing through Instagram and two of my most favorite things remain – slowly and mindfully doing my skin care routine and cuddling with the husband. Now the skin care routine can just mean applying coconut oil on my arms on some days and 2-3 step face care on others but what matters is how soothing this process is and just how happy being able to do it makes me. Also, nothing can beat midnight (and right after waking up) hugs.

10 | My Hair Story & the entry of a recent miracle

/ Srishty / 1 Comment

I woke up in the morning today & the first thing I realize is that I forgot to put up a post yesterday. Anyhow, here we are today and while I was thinking about what to write, I got reminded of something.

Something which I was uncomfortable writing (to avoid sounding vain talking about vanity) but it will be worse not sharing it.

Additionally, I think this will make me feel more at ease with posting about vanity related stuff which might make me happy or which might be useful to some or which might turn up as good content.

If you are already bored, sorry about that but since its a topic sensitive and close to many a heart\n, I know you can’t go back now. #evil

Is it okay if I write it like a list? Helps organize my thoughts better (please let me know in comments if that’s a put off though):

  1. I have never had good quality hair. I don’t fall into that category of people who can say “Oh! I used to have such healthy hair but this pollution or this hard water or etc etc”. No, I never had the good stuff to begin with. Of course, all the external factors might have had their share of fun on my mane but the point is, my mom got my head shaved thrice as a child in the belief that eventually good hair will come.
  2. In my later teens, when I started to become conscious about my looks, I used to hate my hair’s behavior. You see I had a “boy cut” (fancily known as Pixie/bob etc) in my early teens and since I had just started growing out my hair in late teens, they used to have a mind of their own. Eventually over the years, my hair length grew and with longer length came slightly saner hair as well, because the shorter they are, the more they start waving around and doing their own thing. I don’t know why I just feel straight, clean hair look better on me than wavy or curly.
  3. But, more importantly, what happened over the years was that I became perfectly comfortable and actually started to love my hair the way they are. Reason? They are not luscious or healthy, but they look good or just fine. So, the main reason why you want your hair to be healthy is kind of taken care of. 😛 And why I used to hate them initially was because I really, really wanted straight hair. The acceptance came eventually that I am always going to have wavy hair, if I want them poker straight sometimes, I can always get them done.
  4. Now that its clear that I like my hair the way they are, I also became okay with the fact that they are never going to be super healthy. I became okay with everything that comes with hair – hairfall, dandruff etc etc. Thank God my hair don’t get very frizzy, I hate that!!!!!! And I do not use any additional products on my hair other than shampoo and oil. No, I do not even use a conditioner because I feel my hair work better off it. The only thing I do is keep trying gharelu nuskhe (natural tricks) every once in a while (very rarely actually) and switching between shampoos in the hope that maybe I’ll come across a miraculous one some day.
  5. And that happened. Yes, I did land a shampoo which is suiting me like anything and my hair have never felt and looked this good on a normal day. Please see the picture below for the shampoo. There’s a disclaimer though. This is the first time I am using a shampoo (heck! any product) bought from a salon person, so it’s quite possible that there are other such products sitting on salon counters but since I never wanted to go into that loop of buying shiny products from the salon, I never really knew. Still, just try it out if its available where you live. 🙂

PS: Please don’t think I am some kind of psycho who sits and thinks about their hair all day long. Its just that before using this shampoo, many times I used to think is there anything that has changed the game for my hair since childhood. And then I got reminded of how much I used to hate my hair back then and now I love them, it may deserve a post some day! 😛

Edit: Also wanted to mention this other product which is giving my ends a really smooth finish and an overall smoother, shinier mane. But I feel both of these are the kind of products which show instant results but if I stop using them, effects won’t last.

4 miracle products for a happier skin!

/ Srishty / 9 Comments

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First of all, this is not a gender specific post. Most people around me actually want to have a smooth, clean and radiant skin and, trust me, the number of men who want that is at least equal to the number of women, if not more. Although, I think I have mostly seen women work towards making their skin healthy and not men. Still, I have some really finicky and funny incidents on those lines relating to men. My brother is always asking me what should he do about his pimples, well I did not do much in my teenage. 😛 My eldest cousin brother is always on the lookout for what latest face wash/cleanser any of us girls have with us that he can try out for an ‘instant glow’! 😀

Anyway, I digress. The point is that it feels good to have a feel-good skin. Whether you care about it enough to do something about it is completely a matter of choice irrespective of whether you are a girl or a boy. However, if you really wish you had clean, supple and overall healthy skin without being high maintenance, here are 4 absolutely miraculous yet simple products for you to try:

1. Gram flour/Chickpea flour (Besan):

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Two things: 1) easily available, 2) one of the best facial cleansers you’ll ever try in this life. If it’s too much effort for you to use gram flour mixed with raw milk or curd to apply on your face, just keep a jar in your bathroom and use it directly on wet face like you would use a soap/ face wash. Thank me later.

The reason why it’s better to use it mixed with raw milk/curd is that gram flour is drying in nature so it tightens the skin way too much. If you have dry skin and you use it alone on regular basis, it would be a problem. It’s better to use it with something moisturizing like raw milk. (I mostly use it alone because it’s easier and I have normal to combination skin).

2. Tomatoes or Lemons:

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What for, you ask. Basically, every time you come back home from the harsh sun, just wash your face with plain water, pat dry with a towel. Then, cut a slice of either a tomato or a lemon, and rub the slice on your face in small circular motions. Don’t rub it fiercely, you don’t want to roughen the skin. Then, leave the skin like that for 10-20 minutes and wash it off with clean water. This would take away everyday’s tan and dirt away that sticks to your skin.

In case you use makeup, then you need to take off your makeup first before proceeding to this and, honestly, I would suggest to wash your face with a cosmetic cleanser after makeup removal instead of cleaning it with tomatoes/lemons. If I find a natural method instead of cosmetic cleansers on this front, I’ll let you know.

3. Almond Oil:

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It’s a funny story how I started using it for skin. I have always liked almond oil for its fragrance but I never used it other than putting it in my hair every once in a while and my mom adding a drop or two in warm milk sometimes. However, I wondered if I like it so much that I can just sit and sniff it for minutes and I have heard about so many good things about this, why don’t I start using it as a moisturizer this winter instead of cosmetic moisturizers?

Now, I won’t lie and say that I have experienced something miraculous in terms of ‘instant glow’ but my skin feels (and looks) so healthy and supple and never even a tiny bit dry even in these harsh chilly Delhi winters. Plus, there is an added bonus of not putting another set of chemicals on your face. I said bye to the blue Nivea Creme this winter 😀 even though I love the fragrance beyond limits!

4. Honey:

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Here’s the deal with honey. You open any article about skin care and there would be praises sung for honey. So, around three-four years back, I decided to use one of those recipes on my face and the process was so sticky and bothersome and the result was only as good as my gram flour cleanser result, if not less. So, I decided to not use it again. The thing is if it works for you, please use it by all means. As it doesn’t for me and I know that honey is beneficial, I have just substituted the sugar in my milk with honey. It is actually not only good for your skin but also good for your health in many, many ways. I love the taste so much better than milk and sugar but lot of people hate the taste. Try it out and let’s see. If you happen to like the taste, it would be so good to have a replacement of refined sugar in your life, wouldn’t it be? 🙂

In the end, I just want to add one trick. If you are eating papaya or banana, just take a small part of the pulp or a small piece and rub it lightly on your face, wait for few minutes and wash off because those two are very good for skin.

Tell me honestly if you care about your skin but still find following any of these too much effort. 🙂

PS: The pictures are clicked with my new phone. Yes, I gave in and bought a new one because the previous one just couldn’t start again after trying for so much time. :/