Swathy and Sky

Lotus Herbals VanilaSmooth Body Lotion {Product Review}

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I so love the color of this bottle. I wanted it from the moment I saw it on the shelf and got it after eying it for the fifth or probably the tenth time 😀 Its a very pretty light purplish in color and will instantly attract your attention. You might have noticed it too. So, was it worth the craze??? Lets check out.
Price: 165 INR for 200ml
Ingredients
Vanilla, Soy and Avacado. Sounds delicious!!
My Experience
It smells yummy to me. Only once I got this and smelled it, I understood what the term “too good to eat” means. I really would crave something so delicious in taste too. It is pretty thick in consistency but it is not very hard to take it out of the bottle. The bottle has a flip top and allows the lotion to fall through it easily. It is definitely not easy to spread as it gets clumped at one place and streaks the whole arms but it does get absorbed in a minute. You smell of vanilla after applying the lotion. The fragrance or smell can be too strong for some and you might end up hating it too because it is too artificial. I wish it should have been more natural and more pleasant which teases your senses instead of knocking them. The smell stays with you all day and rises in huge doses when you are having bath.
Coming to the moisturizing part, you have to apply a big dollop of lotion of you want proper moisturizing. Otherwise, your skin will dry up and will need reapplication after only a few hours. I would say that even though it says it is extremely moisturizing, it is not a great lotion for dry skin in winters. It will do well in summers for dry skin and is great for normal skin in winters. It definitely doesn’t stay for the whole day. Even though it has thick consistency, it doesn’t make the skin sticky or anything. After applying the cream, your skin would be a little smoother which might or might not be very visible. Right now, this lotion is giving me the perfect moisturizing, doesn’t make my skin greasy or doesn’t leave it dry to be followed up after every few hours.
 
My Recommendation
It is not an amazing body lotion so you can easily give it a skip. Instead, I would suggest Nivea Smooth Body Milk for dry skin and normal skin can try this or go for their fav lotions. Can be given a try in the present season for those who are interested.

Patanjali Tejus Tailum Body and Hair Oil {Product Review}

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So, here is another of the product from the collection of Baba Ramdev. This is not much of a review coz I never got to using it as such. Well, I’ll explain that in a minute.This oil is supposedly a body massage oil but also good for hair. It also is said to improve the muscle strength. The color of the oil is dark brown though my bottle is empty.
Price: 60 INR for 100ml
Ingredients
A very impressive list of ingredients. Let me just recount them in case the pic is not clear. Sorry for the flash but this was the most clear pic I got. So, every 10 ml of the oil contains almond oil, olive oil, walnut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, soyabean oil, peanut (groundnut) oil, mustard oil and castor oil in some proportions. So, reading the list of ingredients, anyone would be tempted to buy the oil.
 
My Experience
Ok, so as I said that I never got to using the oil as such. What I really meant by that statement was that I couldn’t bring myself to use it afetr at max 2-3 times in the starting. Why?? The first time I opened the bottle, my head started to ache. The smell of this oil is too strong to bear. And, it is really very very strong. I have never been fan of strong perfumes and deos but this one takes the cake and the icing. I really fail to understand that why do they need to put a perfume when you are selling natural products. Had that smell not been there, I probably would have fallen in love with the oil. But, now I would never find out 🙁
It surely is a great product owing to the fabulous ingredients. I did manage to apply the oil as a body lotion one or two nights in the start and it was moisturizing enough. My skin didn’t feel dry or parched. Very little oil is enough. No difference in the smoothness of the skin by morning though but then I didn’t really notice that. But, then one or two days might not be enough. I applied it once on my hair but didn’t notice any difference. It would be unfair of me to say that the product is worthless coz I really didn’t use it enough to judge. So, the only point I would put is that this is not for people who can’t handle smells.
I really wish Ayurvedic products do not go into the cosmetics gimmick of great fragrances and elaborate packaging which costs more than the worth of the product. I wish I could send them a feedback about this. So, why is my bottle empty. I didn’t know how to use this oil so I mixed the oil with baby oil and kumkumadi oil and used it. The fragrance did soften down after mixing and my body did glow but then I am not sure about the reason coz it might have been this oil or the kumkumadi oil or even my apricot soap which I have been using and it is excellent. So, I am kinda confused about that. I’ll surely use this oil alone if I buy it next time but that is unlikely so anyone who has used the oil is using, please do comment and share your reviews 🙂 I would love to hear your experience about the product.
My Recommendation
Not to be too biased but this oil is definitely not for people who can’t take strong smells. This might be a good product but you certainly do not want to harm your smell sense. Those who can take really strong perfumes and deos can give this a try.

Do not pick on your skin!!

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Ohk, so yes, I have been MIA for a very long time now and you have been seeing quite a few sporadic posts from me. The reason is I’m just being plain lazy. Give me a laptop and I will read all 24 hours but when it comes to writing for my own blog, it takes lot of diligence and patience. I do like to particular about my posts and make it as easy to read as possible so if I am not in mood, it kinda becomes difficult. So, yeah, life is not so good at the moment but then there is always a beacon of light shining at the end of the tunnel. I am just waiting to reach the end. And, before I run away with my philosophical perspicacity on my circumstances, I shall come to the topic of the day. If you remember, I had started a series of bad habits which we are not aware of consciously but are extremely harmful for our skin in December. So, continuing in that vein, today’s bad habit to be eradicated is – Picking or Poking or unnecessarily irritating your skin.
Yes, I suffer from this very very bad habit and I have my college to blame for it. In my college, I has 1 or 2 stray hairs on my chin which my friends made fun of 🙁 and I got into the habit of plucking them out with my nails. Very very Harmful habit as I have come to realize. It has many implications which I’ll discuss with you in a short while. I have also seen a few other people who are addicted to this habit. 
Effects on Skin
So, what happens to skin if you pick or pluck on it?? Well, for one, your skin sags at those areas. Yes, it will make you look old. Secondly, blemishes and dark spots are a direct consequence because of the blood clots under your skin and it really takes a long while to heal. Thirdly, when you pick at your skin using your nails, you are harming the nails in the process. They get brittle, drier and unattractive. So, another incentive to stay away from this  habit.
Worst of all the consequences is bad breakouts. Oh Yes, it has happened with me and I am currently dealing with the situation 🙁 It is not pretty at all, trust me. When you pick at your skin for whatever reason, the cells under the skin get irritated and if you are really insensitive with your skin, it can trigger and inflammation. This can easily happen when you are dealing with facial hairs or eyebrows and popping pimples. This inflammation can result in the worst form of acne – the bubbles filled with pus which you can’t treat using anything (trust me, I have been there and done that !!). So, stop this habit right now. Your skin will thank you. Either learn to live with your skin as it is or do something else but do not pick at your skin. Just stop touching your skin with your fingers coz its equally bad as we know that bacteria from the fingers get settled on the face.
Now, I would not discuss in detail how to get rid of this habit coz I have been trying since quite a long time but have not yet been able to. But, strict self-control seems to be the light of the day. Habits die hard but it is said that if you can carry a habit for 21 days to be precise, it becomes a habit. So, control yourself for 21 days and you will live!!