Swathy and Sky

Loving / Using It Vol. 2 – Nivea Pure Effect Total Face Cleanup

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Nivea Pure Effect Total Face Cleanup

Loving / Using It : Loving It

I am totally loving this product! Review will be up by the end of this month at max. But, in the mean time, I would say its not a miracle product or something but it is something which I totally enjoy using because it just makes my routine so simple and cut-short!
What about you? Have you used this product?
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Hair Combs and Brushes {Reader’s Query}

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Hi Swati, I coundn’t find an appropriate post in which to ask this question, so I’m asking here. You’ve written a lot about hair care, but I couldn’t find any post about hair brushes/combs. I’ve been reading that boar bristle brushes are really good for hair. What are your thoughts on that? What brushes/ combs do you use? Do you find that good quality ones aid in maintaining good hair health or is it unnecessary? I’ve seriously been considering purchasing a boar bristle brush (regular brushes cause more hair fall for me compared to combs), but I couldn’t find a single Indian blog that had mentioned anything about it. 

So, first of all, thanks Poohkie for pointing such a pertinent topic. And, I am so sorry it has already been a month that I have not reverted back! Now, let me get back to the topic. Long back, I had discussed a bit of history on the combs and the ones I have used subsequently! I am really sorry about the missing pics in that post but I had deleted a pics folder in picasa because of which many of my posts have missing pics!

Wooden Combs

Apparently, the Indian artisans in history used to make wooden combs which had a sort of string of holes through the base of the teeth. One could pour a drop or two of oil through the first hole which used to travel down the comb and when used on the hair, the oil gets applied to the roots and hair strands evenly, nourishing the hair!

I have come across quite a number of wooden combs by now but still the TBS one remains my fav! I think its mainly to do with the finishing of the product. I recently got one for my friend as well and she has been finding a considerable difference in her hair. So, yes to wooden combs compared to the plastic ones! But, whatever you choose, make sure they are wide-teethed.

How to choose Hair Brushes?
Ok, the first rule with brushes is that if you have curly hair, its better to avoid one! Otherwise, I have heard natural brushes or boar-bristle brushes are really good. So, I did find out a long long time back that Denman and Mason Pearson are the two best brands when it comes to hair brushes but unfortunately I have no idea where they are available online. TBS carries wooden quilled brushes as well, one of which I had bought but use it very occasionally.

A flat brush or paddle brush is great to tame the hair and distribute the natural oils from the roots to the tips of the strands. The bristles of the brush can be nylon or wooden or natural hair like boar bristle or horsehair. Also, the base of the brushes should be rubber preferably because that allows the bristles to move more flexibly and damages the hair lesser comparatively!

How much brushing is good?
Hundred brush strokes a day is said to do amazing things to hair but I think that’s just overdoing it. Excess brushing can actually damage the hair. First, brush the hair only when it is dry and it is straight.

Brushing curly hair can harm its cuticles because the hair strand is uneven and the brush quills can rip it off! That is why natural hair is preferable on the brush.

Also, a few brush strokes a day does help distribute the natural oils evenly on the hair. So, make sure you do not brush your hair excessively as it flattens the hair. If you have fine hair, remember that it can look very weighed down if you brush it more often, especially when it is a day old.

How to clean the brush?
I have to say that this is the one part which stumps me completely and discourages me to use my TBS brush. But, you do not have to worry if your brush is not wooden.

After every brush stroke, make sure you remove the hair strands caught up in the bristles. Ignoring them too much can lead to lot of accumulation of hair strands.
Also, soaking them and washing them once in two weeks or a week depending on how frequently you use it or how dirty it has become is good. I use a discarded tooth brush to clean the base of the brush and even my comb and nails. 
Do you use a brush? How do you choose your hair brushes? How often do you use them and how do you clean your brush?
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Weight Loss Series Vol. 1 – Why do you wanna lose weight?

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Ok, since you all like my Blogging Series and Hair Diaries, well most of you, I thought I could start this new series and I shall try to do a post every week or may be once in two weeks. So, let us start with a discussion of why exactly do you want to lose weight. I am not talking about motivations but the real inspiration behind the decision!
My Attempts at Weight Loss
For me, I have always been a very non-athletic kid and though I was not fat or obese, I was always healthy. In my teens, I still had my baby fat on and when I went to college, I did put on a lot of weight in the last two years and though I had started various exercises, mainly yoga, I was never very regular and walking was the only thing we did A LOT!
Then, I entered my post graduation and I was definitely on the heavier side at about 63kgs. I started with cycling in the gym but then the quality of the gym equipments wasn’t so good so that was kind of on and off. Then, I went to Pune for a month where I used to go for regular walks in the evening. Before that, I had tried out some early morning walks. And, none of them actually paid off.

Then, I started blogging and came across Suryanamaskars which I tried to follow diligently for sometime. Again, no proper routine! And, then, came December 2012 when I had enrolled for my life’s first artistic Yoga classes which I had definitely enjoyed but then it was too expensive and I did not care to spend that much. Though, I can always do the same things at home but then I am lazy, remember?
I tried to go for light early morning jog-cum-walks for somedays but nothing doing. Then, I thought I would go for some swimming classes and excuses were having no swimming costume and cap or the goggles. And, then, I bought a skipping rope which I never really bothered to use. So, these are the very many attempts to losing weight.
Current Routine
And now two weeks back, I was high on my inspiration and I did not let it die down completely. I have to say that there have been quite a few slip ups. But, more or less I am sticking to 300 jumps of skipping rope! My inspiration as I would call it is to lead a healthy and active life as opposed to just losing weight. So, I think it is better to stick to the routine when we find the right reason for which one wants to pursue some course of action.
What can be the possible reasons for losing weight?
Leading a Healthy Life
I have often seen people who suffer from serious set-backs and are able to survive are the kinds who have such lofty goals as to lead a healthy life. Well, that did happen with my father when some 15-20 years back he found his cholesterol levels had hit a major upper limit. He started taking care that he does a minimum of an hour exercise and walk a lot!
Special Occasions
Well, nothing is more amazing than looking good for that cousin’s or friend’s wedding! And, when it comes to one’s own special occasion’s, there is no looking back, right? But, unfortunately, I find this reason does not bode well for a regular routine!
But, my motivation is a mix of both right now so it is kinda working for now 😀 Well, right now, I can think of only these two but something I wanted to convey with this post is that find out why you exactly want to lose weight? That might probably hold you long enough to do as you really want! I really hope this post makes some sense!
What do you say? Does a real inspiration for anything life works as an everlasting motivation?
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Motivations for Weight Loss
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