Forest Essential - Facial Indulgence Kit : Review

Today’s review is a about a sample Kit from my favourite brand: Forrest essentials. This was the first thing I had used from this brand; in general I love the brand that come up with sample kit so that the consumer can try out few products before actually buying the full size products.

Initially this kit was called Ladies essential travel kit but company has renamed it as Facial Indulgence Kit. They have lot of sample boxes like this all which are available in their stores or online.

I ordered this kit from Amazon; you can get it directly from their site or buy from Jabong or Amazon or Nykaa

Forest Essential Facial Indulgence Kit in general contains:

Facial Cleanser
Facial Toner
Sunscreen Lotion
Facial Nourishing Cream
Facial Scrub Almond
Lip Balm 

Price: INR 1875

Packaging: 

All the products come in cute yellow coloured box which is secured with blue ribbon just for the flare. Box contains individual cut outs for the products which keeps the products in its place. The lid goes on quite tightly. Over all this box is perfect for gifting purposes.

All the products come in the standard forest essential packaging in transparent body and golden cap/lid.

Needless to mention, that all the products smell absolutely divine.

Ingredients: 

Products I received.

Sandalwood facial Cream: 15 g

The facial cream comes in white in colour, lightweight texture with pleasant smell. It gets absorbed easily in the skin within seconds of application. It is quite effective moisturiser and it doesn’t make my face oily even in Mumbai heat and humidity. I have already finished it up. It lasted for good 15 days.

Definitely purchasing this in full size

Sugared rose petal lip balm: 5 g

I love lip balms. This sweet thing comes in pretty pink color and smells of actual roses not some artificial sweet smell. It’s quite light lip balm and perfect for summers. It works quite well and provides slight tint to the lips.

Walnut gel facial scrub: 15 g

It smells absolutely amazing. I have never smelled any scrub better than this. It has very soothing and relaxing smell and does the job quite well. The granules are of perfect size and not too harsh or mild on skin. This jar is sufficient for around 5-10 uses.

Delicate Facial Cleanser Mashobra Honey Lemon & Rosewater: 50 Ml

It comes in light golden brown colour and has runny consistency. It lathers quite well and cleanses face without drying out the skin or making it feel scratchy. I love this product and it will last quite long as you require just a tiny amount for entire face.

Facial Toner Mist Pure Rosewater: 50 Ml

As the name suggests it pure rose water that one can use in numerous ways. I have used it as toner and as normal rose water in face packs. I love to use rose water on my skin and it is perfect for daily use. This 50 ml bottle lasted quite well of around 25 -30 uses.

Sunscreen Lotion Aloe Vera & Sandalwood: 50 Ml

This lotion comes in milky white colour and get absorbed in skin very quickly. It doesn’t make my skin greasy or feel heavy on skin. It has all natural ingredients to protect skin from harmful UV rays. Only down side is SPF is not mentioned.

Overall :

I’m  extremely happy with all the products in this kit and feel like it is a good option when one wants to try few products without having to spend a bomb on various products. It also makes a really good gifting option for special ladies in your life.

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L’Oreal Paris Kajal Magique Bold: Review, Swatches

"Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the darkest of them all" 

If I was the wicked queen from Snow white, that would defiantly be my most sought out question as I'm continuously in search of the darkest, blackest & Boldest  kajal that I can lay my hands on.

According to me kajal or a Kohl is most used and the most basic product in all the girls vanity kit. I’m always on look out for the darkest black kajal that I can get my hands on and needless to say I own a ton of kajals as almost all the brand as at least one variant of kajal in their portfolio.

Today I’m reviewing the newest variant of kajal from L’Oreal: The Magique Bold Kajal

What company claims:

“Discover Kajal Magique BOLD, our boldest Kajal formula for the boldest look.

ULTIMATE BLACK: 25% more concentrated in black pigments, each stroke glides effortlessly to deliver a vivid black line.

MORE EXTRAORDINARY CARE: Its formula contains 2X more Vitamin E* and is gentle on the eye.

BOLD RESULT: Create an intense line with one or two strokes on the waterline. Complete your bold look by adding a thick line on the upper lid

• Extreme Hold: 14H Smudge-Proof.
• Water-Proof.
• Non Transfer.
• Ophthalmologically Tested.
• Suitable For Contact Lens”

Price: INR 350 for 0.35 gms

Shelf life:

Packaging:

This kajal come in black retractable tube with the name mentioned in gold mirror finish colour. I personally prefer kajal in retractable tubes has I doesn’t cause wastage of products. I love how stunning the kajal looks. Its definitely an upgrade from Kajal magic supreme black kajal.

My Experience:

True to its name this kajal is definitely bold and beautiful. This kajal provides extremely black line in single swipe. The pigmentation is so good that you get the darkest black color in single swipe. I had expected the color to be black but not so intense jet black. I’m thoroughly impressed.

The texture of this kajal is extremely buttery & smooth. It just glides across the eyelid without any tugging. It is settles in matte finish and stays that way for good 7 hours without smudging or fading even in slightest.

It is 100% waterproof, I splashed some water on my face and it stayed in place without even slightest fading. At end of 8 hours there was slight fading in corners but nothing too noticeable. It stayed just fine even on my waterline.

You would require a good quality oil based makeup remover to completely remove it at end of the day. Only thing that I did not appreciate is that ingredients are not mentioned.

Swatches:

In Single swipe

Overall:

L’Oreal has completely impressed me with this kajal, it is jet block, bold, water resistant, smudge proof, extremely creamy and settles into soft matte finish, plus is quite affordable and extremely easy to use.

Ratings: 4.5/5

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Just herbs Kumuda – Indian White Waterlily Silicone Free Conditioner : Review

I have recently started using a lot of products from Just herbs as it claims to be 100% organic paraben free. I have recently reviewed Just Herbs 8 in 1 Root Nourishing Amla Neem Shampoo (Review here) which I usually follow up with this conditioner.

One thing about just herbs product is that they smell absolutely wonderful and one can just keep on smell it, and this product did not disappoint me in that department.

  

What the company claims.

"Just Herbs’ gentle hair conditioners are free from silicones and smoothen and nourish dull and damaged hair without causing ‘build-up’ in your strands. Vibhitaka, Indian Gooseberry (Amla), Bhringraj and hibiscus are known in Ayurveda for promoting hair health and stimulating growth while Fenugreek (Methi) helps fight hair thinning and hair-fall. The fragrant Kumuda or Indian white waterlilly adds elasticity, volume and body to brittle hair.

Free from petrochemicals, parabens, SLS/SLES PEG/PPG, Genetically modified ingredients (GMO) and other synthetic ingredients"

Ingredients:

jojoba oil, Hibiscus ext.*, Indian water lily ext., Eclipta alba ext., Amla ext.*(Emblica officinalis), Vibhitakah (Balleric myrobalan) ext.,Fenugreek seed ext.*, Grapeseed oil,Glyceryl stearate citrate/ cetearyl alcohol /glyceryl caprylate***, Octyldo- decanol***, Veg.etable glycerine*, Soy lecithin, Dicaprylyl carbonate***,Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Natural preservative blend of herbs and essential oils,Citric acid (ph adjuster)

Price: 595 for 200 Ml

Shelf life: 3 years (6 months after opening.)

Packing:

It comes in a simple transparent plastic bottle with pump for dispensing the product. I like the packaging of this product a lot especially due to the pump as it regulates the amount of product dispensed. As the product is white in color and the label is white and gold the overall packing looks very classy & chic

Texture/Smell:

Conditioner is white in color with creamy texture, and again it smells divine. I absolutely cannot explain how good the smell is. It really is to die for plus it stay on for entire day after using it. I love smelling my hair after I have washed my hair with Kumuda conditioner.

My experience:

As far as conditioner goes, I like this one. It works well, provides good nourishment and makes my hair fell nice and soft. It reduced the frizz to some extent but still I had to apply hair serum to keep it from tangling and becoming frizzy. It dint add any extra shine or bounce to my hair just the normal. One of the only things that I loved about this product is its irresistible smell which stays for up to 2 days after the wash.

Pros:

1. Makes hair soft and smooth
2. Convenient packing
3. Awesome smell.
4. 100% organic.
5. Free from parabens

Cons:

1. Didn’t add any shine or bounce to hair.
2. Needs to be followed up with hair serum
3. Bit expensive.

Ratings: 3/5

Overall: I love the smell and packaging of this product but the product itself is nothing special plus a bit on expensive side. I had lot of hopes from it as its 100% organic but it failed to fulfill my expectations.

Recommendation: Not really recommended.

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June 2016 Fab Bag: The Beauty Addict: Review

This June fabbbag made a grand entrance by arriving in first week itself and man did it make an entrance. I was so excited to see the bag that I ended up unboxing it in my office itself.

I absolutely love the packing of this month’s bag, team fabbag has outdone themselves with this month’s packing.

This month’s fab bag is extremely cute and adorable. It’s black canvas with words “Eat sleep makeup Repeat” quite a suitable mantra for this month’s theme: Beauty Addict. I’m definitely going to be using this bag a lot, as its quite classy, chick and of really good quality.

Coming to contents, I'm quite satisfied with the contents of this bag, It has 4 products out of which 3 are full size products with only 1 deluxe size sample.

Be A Bombshell eye Shadow Crayon: High roller (Full size: INR 1200)

I had a option to select a shade in this product and the shade that I selected (high roller) is cool toned emerald green which is quite sheer but definitely buildable colour.  It has very light shimmer and one can wear it during day time quite comfortably. I dint have any emerald green in my kitty hence went ahead with this color. And the gamble did pay off I absolutely love this color, but one would require good primer underneath as its not smudge proof. 

Skin Yoga Coffee Body scrub (Full Size: 845 INR)

I love this brand and whatever products I have used from this brand has worked extremely well for me in past, hope this works as well. One plus is I love coffee and this scrub is supposeto enhance fat metabolism and help in removing liquid fat from skin. It also reduces the appearance of stretch mark and reduces cellulite.

I’m just happy that I have 100% organic body scrub which smell of coffee. Again it’s a full size product which will last me good 10-11 times.

Janseen RoC Eye Cream (Full Size : 1450 INR)

Again a full size product, I dint really know much about this brand, but a quick search on Google enlightened me that its quite reputed brand in USA. I love eye creams but this is wrinkle smoothing eye cream and definitely not for me. I will probably pass it on to my mom. Hopefully she will like it. Although I’m happy to receive this full size product I wish they would have given something age appropriate for me.

Karite Buerre Pure Shea Butter (Sample size: Full size @ 499 INR)

It is the only sample in this bag. I love products with shea butter, what’s better is its infused with SPF 16. This is a deluxe sample and would last me quite long. It is perfect to be used on cuticles, lips. It claims that it can be used on hair as well but I’m quite sceptical about it as its has very petroleum jelly type consistency.

                        

Overall I absolutely loved this month’s fabbag. Total value of this bag is INR 2949 and you get it for INR 599 which I feel is quite a steal from economical point on view. From usability point this bag does justice to the needs of its consumer. A definitely must buy as per me. 

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Just Herbs 8 in 1 Root Nourishing Amla Neem Shampoo: Review

Recently there has been too much influx of “herbal” brands in India, but out of all these there are very few which manage to grab the attention and earn a well deserved place in our memory; and Just herbs is definitely one of them.

Just herbs claims that there products are 100% natural & Chemical free & the products are made with rare herbs. This brand has definitely won the hearts of many with it innovative products and good marketing strategy.

In past few weeks and I been facing lot of hair troubles from hair fall to frizzy hair etc.. etc..That’s when I decided to try it, plus after reading its ingredient list I was completely sold for this product. Another great thing about this brand is all the ingredients are properly mentioned with percentage, which is just great..

Please keep reading for detail review.

What the company claims.

 “It is a great combination of eight herbs – Amla, Hibiscus, Heena, Tigonella Seed, Neem, Vetiver, Wheat germ Oil and Soy Lecithin. Indian gooseberry (Amla), for centuries, has been known to be effective for growth of healthy black hair, while wheat germ oil acts as an antioxidant, soy lecithin softens and repairs damaged hair thus reducing the dryness and brittleness associated with lack of nutrients necessary for a healthy hair growth. Hibiscus naturally darkens hair color and prevents premature graying, while neem and methi seed extracts deeply nourish and condition the hair roots thus controlling excessive hair fall.”

Ingredients:

 Amla (Emblicca Officianalis)*, Neem (Azadirachta Indica)*, Hibiscus (Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis)*, Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides), Henna (lawsonia Inermis)*, Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum Graecum), Wheatgerm oil (Triticum aestivum), Soy lecithin, Aqua, Decyl Glucoside**, Cocoamidopropyl Betain, Cocoglucoside glyceryl oleate** Sodium cocoyl glutamate**, Dicaprylyl ether lauryl Acohol**, Acrylates copolymer, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Natural preservative (Herbs- Essential oilcomplex), Citric acid (ph adjuster), Fragrance.*Certified Organic **ECOCERT approved (Natural ingredient from renewable resources)

Price: INR 225 for 100 Ml

Shelf life: 3 years (6 months after opening.)

Packing:

It comes in a simple transparent plastic bottle with gold color screw on lid. Since the shampoo is green in colour it looks really chic and classy on first look. I like the fact that the bottle is transparent as it shows us how much product is still left, but I hate the screw on lid as closing the cap afterwards a big pain especially when your hands are wet and soapy after using it. Bottle has a decent size opening to dispense the product, but it doesn't help to control the amount of products it dispenses out.

Texture/Smell:

 It smell divine, Just awesome I can keep on smelling it all day long. Plus the smell stays for good 4-5 hrs after washing the hair which is awesome to say the least. It comes in olive green color gel like liquid which is not very thick or runny.

My experience:

Whenever I try new shampoo it try it in 3 to 4 ways; just the shampoo, after mixing it with water, on oiled hair, on extremely greasy/dirty hair, with conditioner , on normal hair etc and then decide if it works for me or not.

So in some cases this worked well for me in so some not so much. Let’s see case on case basis

1.      On normal hair without Conditioner: It worked quite well, lathered well and cleaned my hair pretty well; but did not add any extra bounce or shine. My hair felt bit frizzy & Dry and in need of conditioner & serum. It did kept my hair grease free for almost 2 days even in this humidity.

2.      On normal hair with Kumuda Conditioner: It was bit better with conditioner, frizz was quite controlled and my hair dint feel quite dry still it required TLC of my trusted serum to avoid looking lacklustre.

3.      On extremely greasy/dirty/ oiled hair: It did not latter at all; I required double the normal quantity for my shoulder length hair. The end result was pretty bad as well. For some reason this shampoo dries my hair out.

4.     After mixing it with water: Diluted product works well on normal hair but not on oiled hair.

Overall: This product did not work quite that well for me. Its other claims to reduce hair fall and repair damaged hair also fell short to deliver. I had high hopes from 8 in 1 Root Nourishing Amla Neem Shampoo after reading some really rave reviews but it really disappointed me.

Pros:

1. Gel like consistency
2. Transparent bottle to check the usage
3. Awesome, refreshing smell which last quite long.
4. Keeps hair grease free for 2 days even in humidity.
5. Enriched with natural ingredients
6. Free from parabens and sulphates.

Cons:

1. Makes my hair frizzy & dry
2. Doesn't control dandruff or hair fall
3. No visible shine or bounce added
4. It needs to be followed with good conditioner and serum.
5. Not travel friendly
6. Expensive
7. Need to use twice the quantity for oiled hair.

Ratings: 3/5

Recommendation:  This product has worked well for some people but not for me. You can try it as its 100% organic & herbal but I wouldn't recommend it from my experience.

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