face care

Olay Total Effects 7 in One cream + serum duo SPF 15 {Product Review}

Swathy · June 9, 2013 · Leave a Comment

I am doing this review as a part of blogadda program so I had to use it for 7 days and post the review. Unfortunately, the clever me totally skipped that part of the deal!!

So, here goes a quick review of the product and I am extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to whomsoever it may concern. Also, please note that I have not tried the product for a month as I regularly do!

Price: Rs 369 for 20gms

Pros

gets absorbed into the skin easily!

doesn’t feel heavy on skin!

prevents skin from getting dull!

Cons

does not really stand tall on all it claims!!

My Experience

Well, for the starters, I do not like the fact that it has spf 15. Since it is an anti-aging product which is a cream-serum combo, it should have either been a night cream (I am sure Olay has something in that category as well) or have a higher sun protection factor if it was intended for morning use.

Anyways, a moisturizer should not be used as a sunscreen so it works out perfectly. The product is really light on the skin provided you don’t tend to overuse.

A pea-size drop is enough to cover face and neck. It gets absorbed into the skin within seconds without leaving any greasy feeling. And, the result is a well-hydrated skin.

Given that I have not been taking care of my skin prior to the arrival of this product, I did see some laugh lines along the mouth. The proper moisturizing from the product did help smoothen them. They are still there but less visible because of supple skin.

One thing I noticed since I started with this product was that my skin was not getting dull by the end of the day which it had started to when it was peak summers. May be it is this product or the weather itself! Hyderabad has been awesome lately 🙂

the seven claims! please click on the pic to enlarge and read them and i am sorry to not get a clear pic! next time I shall do better!

But, sine the main ambition of the product is to address seven signs of aging, let me talk about how it fares on those grounds. The pic above shows the seven effects and it also claims to give more fairness.

Honestly, I do not think I saw any difference on those seven claims! I have a few fine lines under the eye on which there was no effect but then it has been just like 10-14 days I have been using the product! Wrinkles need little more time to improve!

On grounds of even skin tone, I do not think I saw anything either. When I apply the product, it helps brighten the skin but that is that! It does not lighten the skin tone or anything.

I have few dark spots on the neck but unfortunately there is no improvement in them either! Now, there is change in the skin pores. When skin is adequately moisturized, pores do seem less in size so that is the only change I have seen!

One thing more I have noticed is that the effects of the product are visible only as long as you keep on applying it. So, I think the product would be more effective when it is used along with its night time counterpart!

can you see the yellow ribbons in the product? that’s the serum at work!!

My Verdict

The product is worth being tried once. It might be a good moisturizer for all those who are searching for one! And, it can be used on oily or combination skin as well!!

Have you tried out this product? Do share your experiences!

I am trying out Olay Total Effects as a part of the product review program at BlogAdda.com

Do you use moisturizer in summers? {Your Opinion}

Swathy · April 30, 2013 · 14 Comments

Ok, I will be a very bad beauty blogger if I say no! But, the sad truth is yes, I am not using moisturizer these days, neither on face or body! It is so damn hot and my exposure to air conditioning is quite minimal.

In the morning, my routine is to apply the sunscreen right after stepping out from shower. I am using MVO Moisturizing Face Screen which needs an oil base to go smoothly on skin. But, even if I apply a drop of oil, my skin turns out oily after 10 minutes so I found out a new base to apply. I am using Maybelline on the face instead of only the eyes as it is meant for! Honestly, it is totally matte and blends really well with the skin giving me a smooth base for the sunscreen application. And, finally, my skin is not THAT oily either at the end of the ritual.

And, at night or in the evening, I use coconut oil to remove the sunscreen so I slather it in a decent quantity for 5 minutes and remove with a tissue paper. And, go for a face wash. After that, IF I feel like which is not quite often, I wipe my face with a toner which totally makes the skin feel heavy! So, no place for any mositurizer.

And, the story of a body lotion is altogether different, laziness being the foremost reason. And, I think I was using Nivea for dry skin couple of days back which was in March probably. And, obviously, it was not a great choice for summers! It made my skin feel really sticky so I started skipping the entire routine instead of just changing the product! Now, I am using a lighter lotion but I still do not use it everyday.

Btw, someone told me Vaseline Aloevera is a decent choice right now in Hyderabad weather. I was thinking of getting it but have not yet implemented the thought! I thought at least a small bottle would serve as a hand cream but nope! I am using the Vaseline cocoa butter which my friend has in the office which is obviously again not a great choice!

Btw, which hand cream are you using? Or, are you using it? If you are not, I have to say that at the very least keep on moisturizing your hands because they get extremely dry because of all the work they do and the constant washing they undergo! I had stopped moisturizing my hands totally till few days back and I realized they were looking so 70-year old!! So, that is something one has to do consistently. Now, my hands are a little better.

I know not moisturizing is a cardinal sin when it comes to skin care and would never ever ask you to resort to it. But, then I got thinking what exactly is necessary at this point? Moisturization or Hydration? Are they both different? My skin does get dry! It is not like its a pan of oil but somehow it ends up getting hydrated from inside so I don’t really feel uncomfortable. Then, do I need moisturization in such a case?

Now, its your TURN! What do you do? Do you also skip your moisturization due to heat or humidity or laziness? Or, you try to follow the routine religiously whether you feel dry or NOT?

Should you use body powder on face? {Your Opinion}

Swathy · April 18, 2013 · 9 Comments

Ok, so, this was a question asked to me a long time back by a reader. She had asked me if she could use the body powder on the face. I don’t even remember what I replied to her. But, I wanted to take up this topic as a post. Why? Because, I remember what I used to do till a couple of years back.

Now, I remember from my childhood that whenever me and my mom used to get ready to go out somewhere, she would always complain my face was looking a bit oily and would ask me to use some powder on face. There used to be face puffs on the dressing table and mom and me used to puff the face with powder. That’s nostalgic with the aroma of Pond’s dreamflower talc in a foot long tin dabba, remember?

And, then, I used to get all the powder inside my nose and it irritated me for quite sometime!! But, now after these many years and with a lot more awareness, I can safely say body powder should not be used as a face powder. In fact, the body powder which irritates the mucous membranes in the nose should not be used for the body either. Inhaling just anything is as toxic for the body. And, then, these days we have all the scare of body powders having talc which is magnesium silicate which is claimed to be cancerous.

And, also, body powders are not as finely milled as face powders so they do look patchy and then you do not have tints in the body powders. And, then mineral makeup came claiming it has everything friendly for skin. But, unfortunately, it is expensive and did not suit everyone!

PS: Oh btw, did you know that there are colored face powders like yellow, purple, green, lavender, peach, mauve and white and may be many more! They are used for different types of imperfections like dark circles and uneven skin tone among others.

Anyways, what do you use? Have you ever tried body powder on face? Or, you strictly stick to loose powders?