Himalaya Purifying Neem Foaming Face Wash Review

Over the summer, I had a very bad pimple out break and was on a mission to find any product that would get rid of them. One of my friends recommended Himalaya Neem Face Wash. I ended up buying the Himalaya Neem Foaming Face Wash instead, the foaming bit attracting me towards the product over the normal face wash.

The main ingredients in this face wash were Neem and Turmeric both native to the Indian subcontinent. Neem is known to work against pimples because of its antibacterial properties and the same goes for turmeric. These ingredients along with the fact that it was the first foaming face wash I used made me quite excited about the product.

The face wash on the whole is good. I love the light feel of the foam and it leaves the skin feeling clean and fresh. The fragrance is fresh with a hint of green citrus elements. On a hot summer day, this face wash can do wonders to refresh. However, in the winter, it does leave my skin feeling a little dry. Of course, that may be because my skin is tending towards the dry side of the scale. 

The only thing I have against this product is whether using it alone can actually prevent pimples. I always used it along with La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo and it worked brilliantly on my skin. This face wash, for sure, can be a great addition to your anti pimple treatment, but I'm just not sure if it can be the only solution. Combine it with a good anti-pimple cream and you're good to go. 

How about some Orgasm for your cheeks?

Are cosmetic companies overdoing it with the names of their products?

Cosmetics and Fragrances are a part of the Fashion and Beauty world. And yes, this world is glamorous and sensual. But, sometimes things can get just plain…weird.

I had a lecture during my marketing class in school about how cosmetic and perfume companies use naming the product as a means of marketing. And, this is absolutely understandable. For a perfume, it’s the name of the products that catches our attention first. But to have a perfume whose name has nothing to do with the actual smell or the “story” behind the perfume is something strange. The same goes for cosmetics.

Let’s take OPI for example. I was at a department store and going through the names of the nail polish on display.  There was a bright yellow shade named Need Sunglasses? and a pretty glossy pink shade name I’m a Princess, You’re Not! 

Need Sunglasses?

I'm a Princess, You're Not!

Mrs O'leary's BBQ

Who Come Up with these Names?

These names are clever and coherent with the colour they are assigned to. A girl with pretty pink nails is allowed to feel like a princess. But a deep burgundy coloured lacquer with the name Mrs O’leary’s BBQ doesn’t really match. The dark brownish-red colour does resemble that of BBQ sauce, but for me at least, it wasn’t the first thing I associated with the nail polish. There was also a toffee coloured polish with the name Who Comes Up with these Names? which I found hilarious.

Though the OPI names can get bizarre, they are witty and sometimes very funny. Urban Decay and Nars are at a whole new level when it comes to naming products. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t like to tell people my lipstick was named Trainwreck or Sellout and yet Urban Decay sells these. They also have a dark black and good quality eyeliner named Perversion. 

Trainwreck

Perversion

Yes, I know that the cosmetic industry is all about romanticism and sensuality but I think Nars gets the award for boldness. Their super gorgeous pink blush is named Orgasm. 

Orgasm

Can you imagine the following conversation:

Girl 1 – “That blush looks so good on you! What do you use?”

Girl 2 – “Uhhhh….Orgasm.”

I’m sure a ton of cosmetic companies use this strategy. But these were some of the brands that caught my attention. Even though it’s a wonderful marketing strategy, I still find it surprising sometimes. 

L'Occitane Shea Butter Products - Lip Balm and Hand Cream Review

Two things that I found myself carrying in my purse this winter were a hand cream and lip balm. I started by using Nivea products (Nivea Fruit Shine lip balm), but I found quickly that they didn't provide me much moisturization after an hour or so and I would have to re-apply. I found that quite annoying and so decided to change and came upon L’Occitane’s Shea Butter range.

Both the hand cream and lip balm contain a very high percentage of Shea Butter (20% and 10% respectively). Shea Butter is a moisturizer very rich in fatty acids that makes it perfect for dry to very dry skin. My lips, being perpetually chapped, needed this high level of moisturization and of course who doesn't want softer hands for the winter, right?

The high percentage of Shea Butter in these products makes them thick and extremely rich. The hand cream is a little bit difficult to spread and takes a while to be absorbed by the skin. But, it keeps the skin soft and supple for about 6 to 7 hours after application. The lip balm also provides resistance while application and you feel the presence of a product on your lips which can be slightly irritating for some. But again, it moisturizes the lips thoroughly and leaves them feeling great. Unlike the Nivea lip balm which is perfumed strongly and coloured, this product is white with a light perfume which makes you understand that is is primarily used for their function which is to nourish your chapped lips.

I recommend these products to those who have dry skin or those living/travelling to places with extremely cold and dry winters.

Where you can find L’Occitane Products in India – They can be found in various shopping malls all over the country (Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi)

http://in.loccitane.com/our-boutiques,49,1,5725,308298.htm?Country=India

Bioderma Hydrabio Legere Review

It’s winter time! Which means: time to buy stylish jackets, maybe some cute earmuffs, colourful scarves and of course, a good moisturizer. My pick for this season is a moisturizer from a French pharmaceutical brand – Bioderma Hydrabio Legere meant for dehydrated and sensitive skin.

This moisturizing cream contains silicones like dimethicone and cyclomethicone which basically form a barrier on the surface of your skin and prevents transepidermal water loss. Now I know that there have been countless discussions about the allergic or comedogenic nature of silicones. But the truth is that there is a very rare possibility that silicones can cause allergic reactions. The chance of getting an allergic reaction due to this ingredient is if it is contaminated with traces of latex. It is this latex that might cause the allergy and not the silicone itself. Another ingredient present in this cream that caught my interest was pyrus malus apple fruit extract. This ingredient is known for its antioxidant and some anti-ageing properties but I don’t really know if it actually serves the purpose.

Contrary to the belief that moisturizers meant for dehydrated skin have to be rich and thick in consistency, Hydrabio Legere has an extremely light feel, which I absolutely love. I hate the sticky and greasy after feel of a moisturizer and this is one cream I tried which is absorbed quickly and leaves the skin feeling soft with minimum greasiness.  Even though it claims to be for dehydrated skin it works remarkably well on my combination skin. The cream didn't react with my skin and it hasn't given me any problems of pimples or allergies. It does its job of moisturizing and hydrating the face and neck. The one doubt I have about this moisturizer will work the same way it does for me in extremely dry climates? I've used this product in rather humid locations and have no idea whether the same results can be seen in places which have lower humidity levels. 

All in all, it is a good moisturizer – perfect if you like the light touch, a nice base for your make-up and perfect for locations which have either mild/humid winters. 

Augmented Reality

My professor showed us a very interesting video in class today. It was about how augmented reality was being used by department stores like Macy’s for customers to try on clothes without having to actually try them on!

This was the first time I had ever heard of augmented reality, hence I was kind of amazed with this concept. So, for the less tech-savvy people like me, Wikipedia defines augmented reality as –

“A technology that allows for computer-generated virtual imagery information to be superimposed onto a live direct or indirect real world environment in real time”

I came home from class and immediately looked up to see if augmented reality was being used for cosmetics and I was shocked to find out it was being used since 2009 or early 2010, and I knew nothing about it.

The first ones to use it were obviously the Japanese. No surprise there, right? The leading Japanese brand Shiseido launched a new technology called the Digital Cosmetic Mirror which is basically a computer screen with an embedded camera that scans your face. Then, using the touch screen, you can choose whatever makeup you want to try – from lipstick to mascara, and also try different shades without having the need to go through the trouble of trying one shade, removing it and then trying the other. And all this, in real time!  After this process of trying different cosmetics, you can take a print out of your final choices. This printout gives you details about the shade number and codes of the products you tried on.

It is one thing to have this technology in stores in Japan, but technology goes to a completely new level to have this feature on your phone. And it does exist. In 2010, Modiface came up with an app for iPhone called MakeUp, which basically allowed you to click a picture of yourself using your iPhone and then test different products and different shades belonging to leading brands like Lancome and Cover Girl on yourself.

Now, you can also find features similar to this on websites. O.P.I has something similar on their website where you have an image of a hand. You can adjust the skin tone of the hand and also the nail length to match yours and try out which of their many shades of nail polish would suit you.

It continues to surprise me as to how these new technologies keep emerging. I mean, what can be cooler that virtually trying on makeup?! These advancements however keep me wondering as to what’s next? What does the future hold for us and how much more innovative can it get?  Guess we’ll have to wait and watch, but for now, my mind is officially blown. 

My Favourite Perfume Commercials

The last course I had was on marketing and we spoke a lot about advertising and commercials in general. It got me quite interested in the subject and I, being the type who has to give her opinion on everything, decided to talk about some of my favourite perfume commercials.

So here goes, in no particular order, my top picks for perfume ads.

At numero un, is Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle ad starring Keira Knightley.

I love how different this one is from the usual, elegant Chanel No 5 commercials. It doesn’t have dialogues like “I’m a daaahncer” or monologues that make no sense yet, because they’re delivered in black and white and someone good looking, make you believe that it’s beautiful and perfect. It is young, sexy, fun and a little rebellious; totally coherent with the concept of Coco Mademoiselle. I love the beige simplicity and I find Keira Knightley to be the perfect face for this perfume “story.”

At numero deux is Egoiste.

Chanel interviewed women and asked them the one word they would use to describe men and the most common reply they got was “Egotistic.” That concept is portrayed really well in this commercial with the women screaming about their rage, despair and betrayal. Not to mention, that’s it is a little bit exaggerated, dramatic and ridiculous, which I love.

At numero trois is L’air du Temps.

I love the fairy tale aspect of this commercial. A light Disney-like story conveyed in less than a minute. The woman, the man, the doves, the setting being sort of like a forest and the flying scarf at the end…just lovely!

Numero quatre is Miss Dior Cherie.

This commercial probably shows what every girl’s dream is. A life full of colour, glamour, fun and to top it off living that life in Paris! It kinda reminds me of one of my favourite movies, Sonam Kapoor’s “Aisha” - the same kind of fashion and lifestyle. And the ending with the girl flying with the balloons and the Eiffel Tower in the background is just perfect!

And finally numero cinq is Dior Homme.

Okay, a little confession. I have no idea what this commercial is about and it leaves me confused every time I watch it. But how can anyone not love something that has Jude Law in it..right? Riight?? *sigh*

What I love about all these and perfume commercials in general is, the capacity to tell a full story in sometimes less than 5 minutes. It’s like a mini-film, it has a plot and characters. Just like the final product itself (a perfume) it captures your attention by targeting your emotions.

  

Idylle!

Everyone has a signature scent. A scent that they love to wear or a scent that they feel defines them.

For me, the three notes that make up my favourite fragrance composition are floral, green and marine notes. I started off liking Pleasures by Estee Lauder. The green floral notes of this perfume are really distinct and it has a freshness that gives a nice petal effect. For the longest time, it was my favourite perfume, until I came to France and smelled something that made me fall in love.

Idylle by Guerlain is my current obsession. I agree it is totally different from Pleasures, but it has some depth, some character that makes me want to wear it over and over again. Idylle, in my opinion, is not completely representative of its family (Chypre Floral). It opens with a soft and subtle scent of rose, that’s not really over powering like Paris by ÝSL. I usually hate fruity notes in a perfume but this has the optimum amount of litchi that makes it sweet, yet not too sickening. The floral notes blended with the musk gives the marine and petal effect that I love in a perfume and the patchouli in the end is the only thing that contributes to the chypre character.

This perfume for me is soft, sophisticated, extremely feminine and moreover romantic – four characteristics that attract the cheesy, sappy and chick flick loving girl in me!