Swathy

L’Oreal Paris Skin Perfect Cream for 30+ Update {Product Review}

Swathy · March 24, 2015 · 2 Comments

Hah! It has been over two months since I have been using the product. And, it is time to give an update. Though, I have covered most of the things in the extended review I did on the product almost a month back, there are just a few things I would like to cover.

Usage

In the last post, if you recall or have read it again, I have mentioned that I could not really figure out how to use the product. So, finally, I figured it out after lots of trials and errors.

Spot apply mustard-seed size product all over your face – forehead, nose, cheeks, chin. And, spread it evenly on the face. That’s it! Most likely you would NOT need more of the product. So, the jar is going to last very very long for you!!

Perfect for Summer

Now that summers have already started raging in Hyderabad, I can feel that this product is perfect to control the sweat and oil. But, then, remember do not go overboard with the product otherwise it will leave white streaks on your skin. And, it keeps the skin looking bright for at least two hours and you can reapply it after that 🙂

Works for a foundation

Unless you want heavy coverage, this product works perfectly as your makeup base. It has a slight tint which makes your face glow, makes the lip color or lip tints pop up and gives a perfect natural makeup look with a soft dewy face. And, it is easy to reapply 🙂

Does not work for eye

The product does mention that eye contour should be avoided and do heed it. Otherwise, the product cakes up in the eye area.

It is a Day Cream!

For everyone who is confused about this part, the product is ONLY a day cream and meant to be used in the morning time and HAS to be removed with a makeup remover, since it has a tint, at the end of day. And, follow with an anti-aging serum or facial oil.

What do you say?

That’s about it and I think it perfectly rounds up my thoughts regarding the product. So, what do you say now? It is your turn so do share.
– Would you like to use the product?
– Have you already used it? If yes, how did you like it?
– What do you think of the anti-aging skin care ranges in the market? Did anyone work for you?

Do share your opinions in the comments below 🙂

Other anti-aging products:
Forest Essentials Soundarya Advanced Serum
Garnier Wrinkle Lift Anti-ageing Cream
Olay Total Effects 7 in One cream + serum duo SPF 15

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – How to take care of dry and rough hair?

Swathy · March 23, 2015 · 5 Comments

Huh…getting on quora is such a time pass or a time waste, whatever!

So, how was your weekend, folks? Mine was a bit hectic with Ugadi, the new year of the Telugus 🙂 It was the first time I made the Ugadi pacchadi. It is said that the taste of your pacchadi determines how your next year is going to go! Mine was sour, all other tastes were in balance apart from sweet and I am a bit shorthand with sweet.

Ugadi Pacchadi or sauce, you can say, is basically a combination of various tastes – sweet in form of jaggery and banana, sour in form of raw mango (kairi) and tamarind (imli), bitter in form of neem flowers, salty as in salt, spice of red chilli powder and black pepper. These are what I added. It varies from person to person. Basically, the sauce is made of six tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, salt and spice – reflecting the varied phases of life.

Anyways, enough of the talking. So, did you guys get time to finish your weekend hair routines? Hopefully, your hair is now doing a lot better than what it had been when you started the event. And, yes, expect a mail from me tomorrow and we have a new contest coming up as well 🙂

So, let me start with this simple query I got from one of the readers.

How to take care of dry and rough hair? Let me add the colored hair, chemically treated hair, frizzy hair and damaged hair to the list!

Well, the entire #OneMonthtoHealthyHair event was about taking care of unruly hair so let me just put down some of my points which I might have missed out during the past three weeks.

Hair Cut is the first step

Well, that was the second activity which I mentioned as part of the #OneMonthtoHealthyHair Event. You have to get rid of the damage before you really start on making your hair healthy because damage has a bad way of making your healthy hair also look bad.

When you cut your hair, you are basically starting over with a new phase of hair and getting rid of all the splits and frizz and damage and even old colored hair. It is better to get rid of the entire damage at once rather than going in phases about it.

Get the Right products

Try to change your products and shift to more natural and sls-free versions or the professional ranges. They are made of hair-friendly ingredients which actually help your hair instead of just cleaning it.

Hot Oil Treatments

This is my go to hair treatment whenever I feel it needs some TLC. A warm oil and a good massage, nothing beats it. And, add up some castor oil and some essential oils and you have the perfect recipe for hair growth and taking care of dry and rough hair.

Btw, work out your hair wash schedules so you can also work out when you will be doing the hot oil treatment in the entire week. Though, thrice a week sounds extremely tempting, it is really not possible to spend that much time on your hair if you are a working professional or a student. Even the work from homes and at home ladies would find it difficult to devote that much time for the hair among all the chaos.

Regular Deep Conditioning and Hair Spas

This is what I have been talking when I write about the weekend hair routines including after-wash hair routines. The last weekend I had actually elaborated on what all options are available for a deep conditioning at-home treatment for the hair on the weekends and you do have plethora of options to choose from.

Another thing I would like to add here is that once a month hair spa at parlor is also a good idea for pampering yourself and making your hair feel loved. These days there are quite a lot of organic hair treatments also available in the salons if you are interested in going the organic route.

For Colored Hair

Follow what your hair stylist advise and go for gloss treatments once a month to keep the color vibrant and make it long-lasting than the average 6 months. And, weekly deep conditioning treatments also keep your hair healthy in the long run.

Regular Hair Cuts

Yes, going for regular hair cuts is one of the easiest way to keep your hair in order. If you are not prone to unsightly split ends, you can schedule your cuts once in 3 months. Otherwise, you can go for a hair cut once in two months.

Following the above guidelines at least once a week will definitely ensure in taking care of your dry and rough hair. And, gradually, your hair will become manageable and soft in the longer run. The results are visible from the first week itself.

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Activity 10 – Weekend Hair Care Routine – III

Swathy · March 21, 2015 · 6 Comments

So, we are in weekend 3. And, today, I really want you guys to spend time with your hair and see what exactly does it need?

Hair Concerns

Split Ends

If it has splits, please get a hair cut. Do not be afraid of losing the length or the fact that salon people cut more than necessary amount of hair. You can tell them before hand that they should show you how much of the hair they are snipping off.

And, then, follow with weekend hair mask treatments or deep conditioning treatments to keep away the splits and make your hair happy!

Dry, Rough, Colored and Chemically Treated Hair

If it is dry and rough and colored and chemically-treated, following these weekly hair care regimes will definitely help you!

Hair Growth

If you are looking for hair growth, use essential oils and be diligent with scalp care.

Dandruff, Itchy and Oily Scalp

If you are tackling dandruff, oily scalp or itchy scalp, try the vinegar treatment and if it does not work, seek a trichologist or a dermatologist’s help.

Pre Wash Hair Care

Now, last week and before last week, I asked you to apply egg and curd respectively, this week I give you the choice to do anything you would like to. We are strictly talking here about the deep conditioning treatments only. You can do the home remedy or go for the more sophisticated professional products.

Home Remedies

– egg
– curd
– henna or henna gloss
– powdered hair masks mixed with some thing

Henna Gloss

For those who have dry hair but love henna, I have this idea called Henna gloss. You apply henna on your hair but it has other conditioning agents so you have less of dryness and it just leaves the shine on your hair instead of coloring it. You can call it a light tint. You can see my henna gloss recipe here. I did try it once.

For Colored Hair

Well, for you gals, I specifically recommend using the products which your stylist recommended. You can ask them for intensive hair mask treatments. The professional products are gentle on your hair and they have color binding and lasting ingredients which nourish your hair color making your hair look shinier.

If you still want to try out the home remedies, only try out egg. Curd will react with your color. Henna is totally not acceptable and other homemade or commercial hair powders might have some dyes mixed with them so better be safe.

Also Read:
Products which helped my hair
Home Remedies which helped my hair grow

During the Wash

Ohk, so, this is something I have been saying since quite sometime.

Also Read: Everything about Shampooing and Conditioning your Hair

I am reiterating some tips which you might have missed again.

Shampooing

– add a table spoon of vinegar to your shampoo for clarifying your hair.
– dilute your shampoo in water. two dollops of shampoo in two handfuls of water will give rich lather to remove the oil as well.
– wash your hair twice.
– apply shampoo only to the scalp and spread the lather to wash off your hair length. if needed, only then use the shampoo on the hair length. the lather washes off the oil from the hair length also generally so do not overuse your shampoo.
– after lathering your hair, massage your scalp for 1 minute gently.
– rinse well with warm water. repeat the shampoo and rinse again properly to remove all the shampoo. use warm water only.

Conditioning

– after rinsing your hair properly to remove all the shampoo with warm water, squeeze out the excess water gently.
– separate your hair into two partitions gently with fingers.
– take a large dollop of conditioner and spread on hair ends on one partition and then move up the hair length. do not apply conditioner above your ears. repeat with the second partition.
– if using intensive treatment, leave in for 15-20 minutes and if using regular conditioner, 3-5 minutes is fine. make sure you have something else to occupy yourself with. good time to give your nails a trim or a pedicure to your feet.
– wash off gently with warm water first and get rid of all the stickiness and slip of conditioner.
– after washing off properly, follow with a cold water rinse. make sure the water temperature is comfortable for you to bear.

De-tangling the Hair during Conditioning

Generally, it is suggested to de-tangle your hair using a wide-toothed comb after applying the conditioner. I have never done it and I do not advocate it because hair is wet and really weak so any sort of comb can result in hair breakage. You can try it for yourself and see if it works.

Otherwise, if your hair is prone to lot of tangles, the after wash hair care will take care of it 🙂

After Wash Hair Care

Scalp Treatment

For the scalp treatment, you can make your favourite DIY’s or use the ones available in the market. For the simplest treatment, mix freshly made green tea with few drops of rosemary essential oil and apply on the scalp using a cotton ball. This dries off in 5 minutes.

Leave-in Treatment

Just like I mentioned last time, using 2-5 drops of any non-sticky oil – like apricot, argan, jojoba, grapeseed oils – on your hair as a leave-in is a great idea to nourish the hair and keep it from getting dry.

So, this is in a nutshell what I used to do to make my hair absolutely gorgeous but since then I have discontinued it because of the lack of time and change in lifestyle. And, have consequently suffered with my hair again going dry and not growing and developing splits.

Hair growth is more or less a continuous dedication and take a lot of work with results not being immediate just like you are on a weight loss regime. So, have patience and the results will show in a month, at least 🙂