Swathy and Sky

Update on Lush Caca Noir {Product Review}

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I had posted my experience with Lush Caca Noir in April. Now, that I have colored my hair with Wella Kolestint too so I think I have revised my opinion on the Noir. Well, this change of heart was due to the difference in my hair texture after using the natural and chemicals hair dyes. So, I guess, you already know who is the winner 😀
So, the second part of the story goes like this. I have already told you all in my update on Wella Kolestint that I felt my hair was a bit rougher after the coloring job and I wasn’t so much in awe of the color. I did like the color when I took the snap in sunlight but I myself couldn’t see the color without sunlight so it really was nothing on my hair and I was irritated of the straw-feeling hair. So finally, I did a research on whether you can use Henna on chemically processed hair. And, the answer is a YES!!! I am pretty sure many would be happy to hear that. BUT wait, there is a catch here. You have to be completely sure that the Henna is 100% natural otherwise your hair will end up fried :O No one wants that!!!

So, fortunately for me, one block of Caca Noir was left unused with me so I went ahead and tried it out. I can say that my hair is a lot softer and of course shinier and this time I had mixed my Caca with beetroot 😀 I wanted to experiment. So, the result was somewhat like this.
my hair color after Wella in sunlight

Personally, I like the Noir result better coz the difference in shine and texture is instantly visible.

My Revised Recommendation
If you love Henna, you should definitely go for it. Don’t be afraid to go for Noir coz it gives a beautiful raven black hair which looks really awesome but you gotta apply Noir pretty frequently for that which is a downside. But, then you can explore other Cacas too. Yes, it is a luxury but this is for all who want to color their hair but are afraid of chemicals or face scalp problems. Better waste money on this that burn your scalps with the chemical dyes. Learnt it the hard way, trust me!!!

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo {Product Review}

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I am a big fan of the skin care line by Biotique but the hair care line is more of hit and trial. I have used the Biotique Musk Root and it was fab. I have bought the Henna powder but did not use it yet. And, I also have the Watercress Conditioner which is amazing and I also bought the Mountain Ebony Hair Serum which I am not sure I like or not. The shampoos overall have not impressed me at all. I have used the Green Apple, Walnut Bark, Soya Protein and Kelp (which I am reviewing). And, none of the shampoos have really impressed me. The reason I bought Kelp was that it doesn’t have any SLS as opposed to all other shampoos which has SLS.

Price: 159 INR for the bigger bottle
My Experience
This is probably one of the few shampoos in the market which doesn’t have SLS in it. So, I was very much attracted to the product. But, unfortunately, my experience with the shampoo wasn’t so great. It did clean my hair thoroughly but left it feeling squashed and limp and I wasn’t at all satisfied. It felt a little rough and dry too. I am not sure it will suit oily hair coz I think it will leave it looking completely limp. So, overall a disappointment!! I also wanna get rid of the shampoo (any takers :D).
My Recommendation
I would not recommend any of the Biotique shampoo to any one. Their masks and scrubs are amazing but the shampoos are not at all good. A sad thing for me to say coz I really love the brand!!!

Steam and Skin {Skin Care}

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Of course, you must have heard that steaming is amazing for your skin. Well, yes, it is. Why? It deep cleanses the skin by removing the dirt from the pores. One can make the steaming process exciting by adding herbs to it like tea tree oil for acne prone skin, eucalyptus oil for people prone to headaches and cold or even tea leaves for a simple refreshing feeling or you can give yourself an aromatherapy session by adding essential oils to the water. Apart from just simply hydrating the skin, the essential oils would also work on your skin and provide various benefits depending on the ones you have used. But, there is a time limit for the steaming process too.
Dry Skin: 1-2 minutes (at max 3)
Normal / Combination Skin: 5 minutes
Oily Skin: 10-15 minutes (depending on the dirt clogged in your pores)
Now, one more thing to remember is that steaming your face is not a routine work. It is a therapy and like all therapies, it should be done regularly for maximum results but not daily.
Dry Skin: once in 2 weeks
Normal / Combination Skin: once in a week
Oily Skin: at max. twice in a week
The reason why I have combined normal and combination skin is because of the fact that combination skin has both dry and oily areas. So, if taken for less time, the dirt and oil in the clogged pores wouldn’t clean well and if taken for more time, it will lead to patchy areas.
Beware of taking steam more often than necessary. Why? Excess of everything is bad and excess of steaming will cause your skin to become dry and dry skin is more prone to aging. Regular steaming is advisable for clearer skin. So, stick to the time lines and be regular to reap the benefits.
One more word of caution for people under 25 who think they have not yet reached the age of aging. Aging is a process and not an age. It can begin at any time depending on various factors like your hormonal balances, your diet, your skin care routines, medicines and supplements taken by you and finally on the environmental factors like sun, rain, wind, pollution, dirt, time spent in air conditioned environments and dependency on technology and gadgets. So, if you think that since your skin is not aging right now, a little deviation form the skin routine is possible. Think again. Everything you do with your skin will show once you reach the age of 35. So, it is best to start taking care of it at whatever age you are.