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Tips to shave for men {Skin Care}

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We have talked so much about women skin care. So, I wanted to focus a bit on men skin care (wives and girl friends, take special note!!!). So, first of the main issues in men’s skin care routine is related to shaving. So, I am sharing some tips I read in a magazine (RailBandhu) recently.
  • Always use a clean and fresh blade. Discard the blade every monthly or depending ont he frequency you use the blade.
  • Always shave on moist skin. Dry skin does not provide the slip needed for the blade to glide and you may end up nicking yourself.
  • Splash your face with warm water and apply the shaving gel. Foam it nicely.
  • Wait for 30 seconds before you use the blade to give time to the shaving gel to soften the hairs.
  • Always shave in the direction of your hair. Avoid shaving in the opposite direction. It is generally very irritating for the skin and burns a lot.
  • After shaving, use an after-shave lotion to soothe your skin. Avoid the ones which have alcohol as they are drying and irritating for the skin. If possible, choose the ones which have essential oils in them or make some for yourself at home or ask your wives. They help soothe and calm down the skin better.
  • And, as a substitute for shaving gel, you can always use shaving oil. It helps the blade glide easily and softens the hair for easy shaving. And, it is free of unwanted chemicals too and keeps the skin soft and moisturized and prevents nicks and burns. Use any vegetable oil or create your own favorite blends at home.
  • And, for those who love using shaving brushes, try out this body shop wooden shaving brush which gives a perfect hold and really soft synthetic bristles which are amazing on the skin.
These tips are useful also for girls who like razors better than waxing (ok, not the wooden brush).

Essential Oils and Plant Oils {Beauty Products}

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Well, reading one of my reader’s comments, I came to know that probably not all are really aware of the difference in the plant oils and essential oils. So, I shall try to clarify that a bit.
Plant Oils

Body Oils are made of blending 2 or more plant oils
All oils under this category come as vegetable oils. They can be used for culinary purposes or even for skin care. These oils are generally extracted from the fruits like almond nuts, hazelnut nuts, coconut fruit, etc. Some of the oils are extracted from the waste part like the rice bran oil comes from the rice bran which is generally used as a fodder for cattle. These oils can be used directly for any purpose and there is a danger of these oils going rancid over a period of time.
They are extracted by cold process or a heat processing method. Cold pressed oils are best as the nutrition is intact and the oil goes through the least amount of processing.
Essential Oils

Essential Oils
Essential Oils are extremely concentrated essences of the various parts of a plant. For example, Essential Oil can be extracted from roots, leaves, barks, stems, flowers of a plant. The oil is extremely concentrated and can not be used directly on the skin or hair. Not all essential oils can be used for culinary purposes. To use these oils, one needs to dilute them with the carrier oils (which are the plant oils).
Essential Oils are extracted using the steam distillation or solvent extraction. Steam Distillation gives the best quality of the Essential Oil. To produce an ounce of Essential oil, huge amount of the plant might be needed and that makes these oils extremely costly. For example, a pound of Jasmine flowers give 1 ounce of Jasmine Essential Oil. So, cost is determining factor of the purity of the Essential Oil. One more thing which characterizes essential oils is its strong fragrance which is generally missing in plant oils.
These oils are extremely delicate and come in very small quantities of 10ml or 50ml and mostly, you will find them in dark-colored bottles. The reason why they are put in dark colored is that the composition of the essential oil may be altered by the sun’s rays so it is always advised to store these oils in the dark. That preserves their stability. Generally, these oils have long shelf life and can be used as preservatives also in homemade cosmetics.
Have your used Essential Oils? Pin It

Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask {Product Review}

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Price:13.50 Pounds (Rs 1200 approx) for 50 ml

Ingredients
Packaging

Everything came wrapped within the Zip pouch

Liz Earle knows the knack of how to make their customers feel special. So, there are no second thoughts about packaging – it is simple, classic and full of utility.


“In a nutshell”
Pros

  • Gives a beautiful glow to the face as if you have applied a foundation and leaves the face looking dewy and radiant 
Cons

  • The effect stays for a very less time measured in a couple of hours
Wish List

  • I wish that the effects are more than temporary.

My Experience
I have been using this product since over a month and I have really worked hard to make it work.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t. It works for a very less time and that’s all there is to the product. I was thinking it would be path breaking but I would say that the Deep Cleansing Mask is amazing and does more than a cleansing job!!! I have tried using this in the morning everyday and for quick fixes and both times, I observed that the effect was temporary.

It leaves the skin soft and supple and plumped up and if you follow it with the Instant Boost Tonic, your skin will stay moisturized for a long time. And, your skin will look really radiant and dewy as if you have applied a foundation which matches your skin tone so well that it disappears into your skin color. But, this effect is probably an hour to a few hours long. And, that’s all.

When I tried keeping the mask for 2 minutes, the mask was not entirely absorbed and it looked as if the product is wasted than used and it didn’t do any good to my skin. Unlike the advise on the packaging, I keep the mask on for 15-20 minutes and the mask gets absorbed completely into the skin and then, I can wipe off the residue with the muslin cloth provided along with the mask. Keeping the mask for 15-20 minutes ensures that my skin absorbs all the goodness of the mask and it makes my skin hydrated and nourished which I really like.

The mask is creamy and easy to apply and two pumps are enough to cover the neck and face both. You would want to apply a very thin layer of the product so that it is absorbed into the skin properly and easily. Applying more of the product really gives no results and in case of Liz Earle, ‘less is really more’. The only thing I have to say is that I wish it had worked better.

Availability
Online – Liz Earle Website

PS: Product sent by brand for consideration. This review has been written over a course of time so you can find the timeline references. Pin It

Check out other reviews from Liz Earle:
Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask
Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint – Beige
Update on Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser