Skin18 Website Review & Haul

Almost an year ago, I was introduced to Korean skincare products by Skin18 for the first time when I received a parcel containing wonderful sheet masks. These sheet masks are really a great way to pamper your skin at home. I was so impressed to obtain dewy skin after using the pre-soaked masks sheets that I also did a giveaway in collaboration with the brand to give my readers a chance to be benefitted by the luxurious products.

In past one year, its my third order with Skin18.com and I always look forward to try something new because the brand offers a large variety of products including toners, serums, creams, masks, mists, cleansers, face washes and much more. You may choose the products either depending on your skin type or according to the areas of concern like skin brightening, smoothing, hydrating, de-stressing or just rejuvenating.

In my order this time, I received some really high-quality products including nose strip, eye patch, mask sheets and face packs etc.

Cracare Anti-Aging Snail Repairing 3-steps Mask: 

All the mask sheets which I have tried till now from Skin18 have been a one-step mask. The Cracare mask sheet comes with Anti-Aging Active Ampule followed by usual essence masking and then to finish with Anti-aging Night Cream. Isn't that really innovative to have a complete solution in one pack. This product is meant for Skin Lightening and Firming. It smells floral when placed on face as it has many flower extracts used as main ingredients. 

Inoface Modeling Cup Pack (Blackfood):

This is a powdered face pack in light silver gray color. One has to mix the powder in double the amount of water and apply a generous layer on skin spreading evenly. It gives mild cooling sensation when applied on skin and starts drying up quickly. I had expected to wash it off just like usual packs but after it dried on my skin, I found that it can be easily peeled off. It brightens up the otherwise dull face and contributes towards enhancing elasticity. This product is available in many variants. 

Luke Lemon Tea Tree Nose Cleansing Strip 
This nose cleansing strip is used to tighten pores and remove blackheads or whiteheads. There are three variants of this product and I'd received it in my last order as well and its already reviewed in my previous post along with Charcoal variant few months ago. Its quite easy to  use and does a decent job to clean the dirt etc from around the nose area.

Luke Hydrogel Eye Patch for Wrinkles 

The brand Luke has similar kind of eye-patches also that comfort your eyes and tackles issues like puffiness, wrinkles, dryness, dullness etc. This is the first time I'm using an eye patch from Skin18 collection. Out of all available options, I received Hydrogel patch for wrinkle. I wondered how lovely they smell ;) These are dry from top, but the inner side is quite moisturizing which touches your delicate eye area. It'll be unfair to expect instant effect from these eye patches, but I would love to have some more in my next order so that I may regularly use these and improve appearance of skin around my eyes. 

Luke Aloe Essence Mask 

Luke masks are made for addressing different skin issues and contain excellent ingredients. I've got Aloe version this time which is one of the best moisturizing agent. It feels so hydrating on skin, fights inflammation and soothes itching skin. Keeping the mask on the face for some time physically seals in the active serum underneath and brings out youthful glow on the plump skin afterwards. Who doesn't love that feel ;)

Mirum Fresh Fruit Green Tea Real Natural Mask Pack

I had got one of the Mirum mask sheet in my first order in Lemon version (reviewed here) and this time I received Green Tea. I'm yet to use this one, but based on my experience in the past, I know it gives ultimate rejuvenation to tired skin. I'm soon going to bring it to use and will share my further opinion with you all.

PureDerm Tomato Yogurt Pack 

Purederm offers great choices for wash-off face packs. The combination of ingredients used in each of them is so tempting. I'm really excited to try Tomato Yogurt pack which I have received. Its in lotion form, so more convenient than the powdered one and you can quickly open the sachet and get ready to feed your skin with desired nutrients.

I've happily added these products in my beauty routine and would recommend these to you for a wide spectrum of benefits.

Have you used any of these products? Do share here how has been your experience.

Skin Polishing With Aroma Essentials Manjistha Soap

'Handmade Soaps' are like heroes in my product review section of my blog ;) I've used and written about many of them, but there seems to be no end of my obsession for herbal soaps. Almost two months back, I received this Skin Polishing soap from Aroma Essentials mentioning 'Manjistha' on it.

The soap had such beautiful underwater scenery carved on one of its side that it took me really long to decide whether to unwrap and use it or just preserve it forever ;)  

After keeping the soap unused with me for more than a month, I convinced myself to gather all my courage and enjoy the goodness of Manjistha, Red Sandalwood and Sugarcane Powder which are the main ingredients of the soap. 

See yourself how cute this mermaid looks playing with fish around her ;)  

The soap has got its deep red color from bright red colored roots of Manjistha and Red Sandalwood powder. When you rub the soap on wet skin, it temporarily imparts a reddish tinge to the skin that washes off with splashes of water. 

After a few usages, the soap color deepened to brownish tinge and the mermaid sadly disappeared from the soap :( But I liked the powdered ingredients coming on the surface giving my skin mild exfoliation effect. I truly love those soap bars which embed any kind of micro beads and provide scrubbing feel during bath.

The super herb Manjistha (Indian Madder) is richly beneficial to treat skin issues with its medicinal properties. It not only detoxifies the skin from environmental pollutants, but also gives the skin an even tone and smoothness after bath. The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of Manjistha is an effective natural remedy for eczema, acne, boils, skin infection and other skin disorders. 

Knowing that the Sugarcane Powder can also be a constituent of some beauty product was more than a surprise for me. But now I know that it can reduce blemish and fight acne to keep skin glowing. The powerful beauty benefits of Red Sandalwood blend together to give clear skin.

The soap doesn't melt excessively and retains its shape despite being its gentle skin-friendly texture. Ideally it should be used every day to improve skin appearance visibly.

If this product interests you, do contact Aroma Essentials via DM or call 7760988272 to place an order.

Complexion Smoothing With IHA Skin Lightening Facial Therapy

Hi Everyone

After a long, unavoidable break from blogging, today I've come up with a review of an ayurvedic Facial Therapy pack from IHA Vedic. The brand is well known for its efficacy in formulating skin care products using herbal ingredients and I've been using their products since years now. As the brand launched some new products, I had keen interest in trying them and sharing my opinion with you all.
In this post, I'm writing about how the IHA SKIN LIGHTENING FACIAL THERAPY worked for me...

This facial therapy is a combo pack of 5 products which are to be applied in given sequence-

1. Suzoka - Facial Cleanser
2. Aripra - Facial Scrub
3. Caarvi - Massage Cream
4. Zubhra - Face Mask
5. Zweta - Skin Lightening Cream

This pack comes in a beige colored, floral printed, flat cardboard box that contains five tiny black tubs with tight screw cap on each to hold above mentioned five constituents of the combo pack. I liked the tub packaging which simply frees you from worries of storing left-over product after using once if it were in sachets. Each of the tubs are well labeled with product name. The details about ingredients and usage instructions are finely printed on the back side of the outer box.

Suzoka is a mild cleanser made up of Turmeric, Saffron and Blue Lotus. White in color and light in consistency, the creamy cleanser softens the skin as you massage your skin with the cleanser in circular motion. It has lovely sweet fragrance that is not overpowering. On rinsing the face off, the skin texture looks smooth on the top and feels effectively purified and detoxified from inside.

Aripra, the gentle exfoliator, means 'Spotless'. Its an ayurvedic formulation of herbal extracts of Cucumber, Mulberry, Fenugreek, Tiger Herb, Walnut and Indian Madder. Its a pink toned facial scrub having abundance of micro granules clearly visible in it. I truly loved how nicely it removes impurities without causing any skin irritation or scratches. It smells of a mix of all ingredients making me love it. After a light-stroked massage of scrub on the damp skin of face and neck, just let it sit on skin for few minutes to obtain maximum benefit and then wash it off. It certainly gives you youthful skin.

Post-exfoliation, the skin with its unclogged pores is most receptive of hydration. So its the time to apply Caarvi moisturizing cream. Its a blend of Licorice, saffron, Mulberry, Mustard and Blue Lotus as the active ingredients. The lightly concentrated, grayish colored cream penetrates to the deeper layers of skin and makes your skin feel pampered from inside. It doesn't make your skin look glossy or shiny, but hydrates the skin to the fullest. Its ingredients are said to work on scar marks, pimple marks and pigmentation, so its a dual-remedial product for those looking for solution of these skin issues.

The next step involves skin toning and healing using Zubhra face mask that comes with powerful herbal actives like Neem, Basil, Cucumber, Indian Gotukala etc. It resembles the fuller-earth mask in color and is a smooth cream mask. It smells nothing unpleasant, but I didn't like it much. The mask is easy to spread on skin. Make sure to cover the neck area along with face to apply a liberal and uniform layer of product. If it dries quickly, don't hesitate to spray some rose water or plain water to dampen it for some time, so that the mask can replenish nutrients and improve the appearance of skin. The key is to either read a book or relax with some soft music on your side. When its time to clean the mask off skin; the best way is to place a wet washcloth over your face, hold it onto skin for a few seconds dissolve the face mask from skin. Repeat it a few times to completely remove the mask and uncover the transformed skin.

The last step towards healthy skin is to give a remarkably effective massage using Zweta skin lightening cream. Its a rare blend of ayurvedic therapeutic oils like Kanaka Taila, Jatayadi Taila, Kumkumayadi Taila in combination with Onion, Brahmi and Methi. These ingredients are said to treat multiple skin disorders like blemish, age spots, dark skin, nail marks, sun burns etc. if used consistently for some time. 

Price & Qty:

The combo pack consists of 12 gm quantity of each product that sufficiently lasts upto 4 facial sessions for anyone and each session is quite cost-effective as the product is priced at just Rs. 500/-.

Highly recommended for skin types prone to pigmentation, age spots and skin darkening caused by UV radiations.

Nail the Matte Trend With Revlon

The hottest trend in makeup industry which I truly love is to pull off a dewy Matte Finish that neutralizes any sheen so beautifully. I know achieving the matte coverage perfectly is actually tricky since they set almost instantly; but once you pull off the look carefully, it comes out really graceful.

I had been eyeing on Revlon Perfect Matte Nail Enamels since the day the range was launched. The Perfect Matte Nail Enamels have been introduced at Rs. 190 each (8 ml) in 8 summery shades:

• Sunny Matte, 
• Rosy Matte, 
• Crimson Matte, 
• Marine Matte, 
• Coral Matte, 
• Cool Matte, 
• Hot Matte

I decided to own gorgeous nail enamels in shades Cool Matte, Rosy Matte and Sunny Matte and to create a dreamy dewy look with these.

To compliment and complete the matte look, I used Revlon Super Matte Lipstick in shade Lavender Chill (659) to go along pretty well.

In my first look, I used Rosy Matte as the base color on my nails. Two coats of the nail paints are good to attain the real color. Take a short pause to let each coat dry, matte nail enamels are quicker to dry than glossy ones. I used a piece of sponge to create a tricolor gradient look, because I'm not that good in creative nail art and its the easiest technique. I dabbed the sponge in Cool Matte and Sunny Matte nail enamels in one go and gently pressed the sponge on the painted nails similar to bouncing action. The finished gradient nail look cute and festive. Make sure to apply a coat of transparent top coat and clean up the cuticles with some good nailpaint remover.

In the second look, I used no nail art tool. I started with painting my nails in Cool Matte and Sunny Matte shades on alternate fingers. In this look also, I applied two coats of both nail paints to achieve the true color giving it time to dry in between. Next I drew polka dots on the top edge of each nail with Rosy Matte shade and applied top coat after it dried up. While the top coat is still wet on nail and about to dry, I quickly placed a swarowski gem on each nail to give this look a festive appeal. 

Hope you liked the easy-to-do nail art using Revlon Perfect Matte Nail Enamels and Super Matte Lipstick. There are many more shades to suit every skin tone and perfect for party or every day makeup. Just pick your fav one and bring out the 'new you; :)

If you liked these looks, do let me know which came out better.

Winner for #AlivenkickingxFuschia Giveaway

Hello everyone

Sorry to keep you waiting for the result of #AlivenkickingxFuschia Giveaway. I must give a standing ovation to zesty participants who did fantabulous job sharing the giveaway with their loved ones. But on the other hand, few participants skipped completing one or two mandatory steps and we had great difficulty verifying their entries by other means.

Anyways, our careful evaluation declares Ms. Nazia Khan as the winner of this Fuschia giveaway. Drum rolls for the lucky lady!

The winner is requested to mail me the complete postal address with contact number at shilpa.bindlish@gmail.com within 24 hours with Subject line "Winner for #AlivenkickingxFuschia Giveaway" so that the details can be forwarded to our worthy sponsor for quick dispatch of gift hamper.

I'm thankful to lovely ladies Divya Asha & Yashaswani Singh for being so active. You people will get an edge over others in my next giveaway which is starting very soon.

Those who didn't win, please don't be disappointed and buck up for my next contest...
till we meet again, take care and be happy :)

A big applause for team Fuschia for coming forward and give away their best selling products in the winner's hamper.

XoXo

Plum Green Tea Clear Face Mask Review

Green Tea has gained popularity among beauty enthusiasts in past few years due to its beauty benefits. I love drinking green tea as well as try using it in some home remedies for direct consumption and topical application. 

And when there are busy days to try my hand on home remedies, then I turn towards adorable cosmetic products that use green tea as an active ingredient. Such a product that I bought recently is this Plum Green Tea Clear Face Mask.

Brand's take on the product:

Get instantly brighter, healthier-looking skin. A soft, creamy formula that applies nicely and is also easy to wash off, without drying your face. Gentle exfoliation of glycolic acid removes dead cells and impurities, while antioxidant benefit of organic green tea extracts helps control acne (pimples) in the long run. A must-have product for oily and combination skin types.

Ingredients: 

Kaolin & Bentonite: Naturally occurring clays, known to be effective for absorbing excess oil, exfoliating, cleansing and refreshing the skin. Some things are best left natural.

Green Tea extracts: Concentrated source of polyphenols and other antioxidants, to stop the acne formation cycle in its tracks. Oxidation of skin-produced sebum is a key step in acne formation – something we are looking to stop here.

Glycolic acid: Sweeps away skin debris and prepares the skin for self-renewal. Our goodness chemists know exactly what’s required to do the job without overdoing it.

Packaging:

The green tea face mask comes in a glass tub pack which has an inner disc to avoid spillage and a screw cap over the top. The glass packaging is not a big one, but heavier as compared to plastic tube packaging. But on the other hand, it reduces the wastage of product that is left in the towards the end of tube packaging. It might be slightly tough to carry it around, but would fit a bigger travel/makeup kit. 

You may order this product here at Rs 475 for a 60 gm pack. 

I appreciate that its a premixed mask, because I have many face masks lying unused in my collection just because I usually don't like to mix powdered/granular masks and make a paste out of them. The mask has cream-like consistency which is not extremely thick. 

The color of mask reminds of homemade fuller-earth mask. The mask is quite convenient and smooth to spread. To apply the mask, one may use fingers or a mask brush depending on ease of use. It has mild fragrance that lasts until the mask stays on face.

The mask gives subtle tingling sensation on face that subsidizes after a minute or so. Its quite normal with clay-based masks, so nothing to panic about. The clay masks are more effective for oily and acne prone skin type as it is meant to absorb excess skin oil, but I tried it despite having dry skin because Kaolin clay used in the mask is very gentle and detoxifies the skin by removing impurities plus Green Tea is rich in antioxidants. 

The mask has a tendency to dry out sooner than expected, so to keep it moist and obtain optimum benefits of Kaolin clay, I spritz some plain water or rose water on drying mask. After having the mask on my face for 10 mins, I rinse it off before it reaches the crumbly stage. After the rinsing, the skin looks youthful and deeply cleansed, but little drier. Being a dry-skinned person, I apply Plum Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer to fulfill need of required moisture. 

Tip: I also experimented adding 2-3 drops of cold pressed almond oil,in the mask while applying on my skin and it did not make the skin stretchy then. You may try using olive oil, avocado oil to avoid feeling dryness after using a clay mask.

Hope you find the review useful.