Pantene Sleek and Shine Shampoo with conditioner

My hair tends become dull and limp in a couple of days of shampooing. So I’m always on the lookout for a good shampoo. So when my friend raved about the goodness of this shampoo called ‘Pantene Pro-V Smooth and Sleek Shampoo with conditioner’, I decided to give it a try. Though my hair is a bit oily, I went in for this particular shampoo meant for normal to dry hair as I didn’t want to strip my hair of all its sebum by using other strong shampoos. And I must admit that it didn’t let me down; all I can say is Smooth and Sleek Shampoo & Conditioner really helped make my hair smooth and manageable and it stayed that way for nearly a week. I could feel the softness from the very first wash. It even did something to the texture of my hair; now it’s highly manageable with no unruly flyaway hairs and simply looking great. The shampoo itself has a pleasant and light fragrance and I am planning to use it for a long time.

Earrings according to your face shape

Earrings are a popular form of jewelry and are great as accessories. You can use them diligently to camouflage the imperfect features of your face. So go ahead and choose the right style of earrings according to the shape of your face.


Funky earrings


Here below are few face shapes, their defining features and some suggested earring-types:

Round face:

The main feature of a round face is the circular shape that is as wide as it is long and is usually characterized with a round chin. Earrings with lean, long and angular curved lines can be the perfect choice because it helps in elongating a round face. You can wear drop earrings in dangles, ovals and oblongs. Even an angular stud earring will look good on a round face. Make sure that you steer clear of small studs and hoops. Always avoid wearing chunky large earrings.

Oval face:

The main feature of an oval face is the forehead which is usually wider as compared to the chin. The hairline is gently rounded and the approximate length is equal to one and a half times width. If you also have an oval face then earrings with soft shapes like studs, ovals and teardrops will look good on you. People with a face shape like this can wear almost any design. You can always do some experiment with different styles and decide what looks good on your face.

Square face:

The main features of a square face are broad and strong forehead, square hairline and angular jaw. Earrings with a round and angular edge will work best because it will help in softening a square face. If you have a square face, avoid wearing angular style, large earrings so that your face doesn't look wider. Instead wear hoops and medium to long styles.

Heart shaped face:
Heart shaped faces are usually narrow at the jawline and wide at the forehead or cheekbone. It is very much similar to an oval face but below the cheekbones it is narrower due to which the chin looks more pointed. Wear earrings with a wide bottom. You can try out earrings that have a soft curve like ovals or teardrops. Pyramid style earring can work best on your face shape because it is wide at the bottom. Always avoid wearing earrings that are heart shaped.

Long face:

A long face is very much similar to a square face but it is longer and not very wide. Simple studs and chandelier style earrings look very good on a long face. However, angular and long earrings must be avoided.


Diamond face:
The main features of a diamond shaped face are broad and strong forehead with square hairline and angular jaw. Such faces are wide at the cheeks but narrow at the forehead and chin. If you also have a face shape like this, wear earrings that are less in length and more in width. A straight line and curves combination will work best. You can also try studs and small drop earrings.

(This guest post was submitted by a reader Trisha, who loves collecting funky jewelry in all forms)

Still more beauty quotes

The concept and perception of beauty varies from person to person and this is quite evident from the quotes of these famous personalities:

The concept of beauty varies from person to person.

The beauty that addresses itself to the eyes is only the spell of the moment; the eye of the body is not always that of the soul.
- George Sand

Beauty is a short-lived tyranny.
-Socrates

Exuberance is beauty.
- William Blake

Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.
- Charles Reade

Beauty is only skin deep, but it's a valuable asset if you're poor or haven't any sense.
- Kin Hubbard

It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.
- Anonymous

Keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the spring when it is gone.
-Roy R. Gilson

The love of beauty in its multiple forms is the noblest gift of the human cerebrum.
- Alexis Carrel

Even with all my wrinkles! I am beautiful!
- Bessie Delanay

You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen. But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul's own doing.
- Marie Carmichael Stopes

Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.
-Jacqueline Bisset

Fish in baby’s diet may cut eczema risk

Eczema, a chronic skin condition also affects 10-15 percent of children causing their skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It often affects those prone to allergies. Swedish researchers have recently found that babies who are fed with fish are less likely to develop eczema. Introduction of any type of fish into the diet of babies before the age of nine months reduces the risk of developing this skin condition; there was no extra protection from fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provided other health benefits, so it must have something to do with its influence on the developing immune system, they added. In the course of their study, they also found that those with a genetic history of this disease were twice as likely to be affected by the age of 12 months.

See also: Home remedies for eczema

Everyuth lemon face wash

Everyuth’s lemon face wash is also a good buy. Suitable for all skin types, it is enriched with the goodness of Lemon, Green Apple and Honey. The lemon refreshes your skin, green apple acts as a natural, gentle scrub, cleansing your skin of the dirt and grime while honey softens and nourishes your skin. When you squeeze a little of it in your palm you can see that it’s of a pale yellow colour and doesn’t have an overpowering fragrance either. As stated, it is 100% oil-free and does not dry or stretch the facial skin; the result after washing is a visibly smooth, soft and glowing skin. Applying it too frequently may however, make the skin somewhat dry, especially if your skin is not too oily, so just apply it just once or twice a day, preferably.

Vivel Di Wills Soaps

Recently I tried Vivel Di Wills Sheer Radiance, a soap that promises to enliven the skin and make it radiant. It’s pretty cheap, costs Rs.42/- for a pack of 3. The fact that it is enriched with olive oil goaded me to buy this particular soap. I have been using it for a week and my skin seems to like it. Plus it has a lovely aroma. Another variant of the Vivel Di Willis range, Vivel Di Wills Sheer Crème is enriched with Shea Butter and claims to moisturize the skin to make it soft and supple.

Interesting Health Trivia

Did you know that

-your digestive system starts working even before you take your first bite of food? The sight and smell of the food makes special glands in your mouth produce saliva.

- a meal takes between 12 to 15 hours to go through the whole digestive system?

- a mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen?

- in your very own lifetime, you'll produce enough spit to fill two swimming pools.

-if you blink one eye you move over 200 muscles?

- on an average, a person will blink 17,000 times in one day, or once every five seconds (over 10,000,000 times a year)?

- your brain weighs about three pounds, but over two pounds of that is water?

- everyone is colour-blind at the beginning of life. That is because cone cells do not develop in the eyes until a baby is about six to eight months old?

- there are as many as 50 or more primary sensations of smell?

- you cannot lick your own elbow?

- at 40 degrees Centigrade a person loses about 14.4 calories per hour by breathing?

Bad breath? Take these tests

Bad breath (Halitosis) is due to a variety of reasons; oral bacteria, odoriferous foods, negligence of dental hygiene and smoking being the key ones. However the repercussions of bad breath are many. You lose out on relationships, friends and almost face social ostracization. And the sad part for you is that it’s tough to tell if you have vampire breath, because your sense of smell adapts to your own odours. But here are some ways to test your breath and determine how bad it is before everyone else does.

The floss test:

Work a strand of flavourless dental floss between your back molars and give it a whiff. If it smells like rotten eggs, then most certainly you have bad breath. The smell actually is from plaque, which is a thin film of microorganisms, which everybody has to some extent. But the stronger your plaque smells, the more likely it is your breath stinks too.

Watch your tongue:

Stick out your tongue. Do you clean it on a regular basis with a tongue scraper? If not, in all probability it has a thick white coating comprising debris, bacteria and food particles that favours an ideal environment for volatile sulphur compounds. Now rub the back of your tongue with a clean piece of cloth. If it smells pretty nasty (like sulphur), then you have this dreaded problem of bad breath.

The saliva:

Now this isn’t quite a reliable method, but still the easiest way out. Lick the inside of your wrist, allow it to dry and then smell it. If it stinks, you know how your breath is or rather shouldn’t be!

If these methods don’t seem too reliable and you want to know for certain; ask your dentist – he/she may be able to help you with your problem. By the way there are several laboratorial methods for diagnosis of bad breath:

The halimeter:

Halimeter is a specialized type of sulfide monitor, which will measure the concentration of sulphur compounds in your mouth that produces halitosis or bad breath and determine if your breath stinks.

Gas chromatography:

This technology is specifically designed to digitally measure molecular levels of the three major VSCs in a sample of mouth air (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide). But gas chromatographs are relatively expensive and require personnel with special training to operate them.

The BANA test:

Some of the bacteria that cause periodontal disease (gum disease) produce waste products that are quite odoriferous and as a result contribute in causing bad breath. The presence of some of these types of bacteria can be tested for by way of performing a BANA.

Organoleptic measurement test:

Here trained experts use their own sense of smell (the nose) to evaluate the breath.

See also: Home remedies for bad breath

Dove Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash: Review

I love body washes. I had tried Lux Silk Nourishment Body Wash sometime ago and was pleased with the results. Recently I purchased Dove Exfoliating Moisturizing Body Wash and I must admit that it’s quite good. With a creamy consistency and blue flecks, it has a wonderful, fresh scent that isn’t too overpowering. I poured a little of it on my loofah and worked up a lather. As I applied the loofah to my body, I could feel the blue things exfoliating my skin. It rinses off easily and it leaves my skin feeling soft, moisturized and smelling great. For a greater exfoliating experience, however, you should pour it onto your palm and apply it to your skin directly with your fingers. You’ll notice a few of those blue flecks scattered everywhere in the bathroom after you are done with the shower and cleaning that up may take some time. But, overall it’s a wonderful product for gentle, everyday exfoliation.

Success quotes for this weekend

Some incredible quotes on success to motivate ourselves:

A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory.
- Arthur Golden

The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.
- Maureen Dowd

One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.
- Marie Curie

A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away.
- Charles Schwab

Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life.
- Dr. David M. Burns

The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.
- Benjamin Mays

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.
- Henry David Thoreau

Eggs for beautiful hair

The ubiquitous egg is the centerpiece of most breakfast tables around the world. Eggs, without qualification always mean the eggs of a domestic fowl. And it is a fact that raw eggs can be used to advantage in your skin and hair care routine. Eggs make for some of the best hair conditioners. The properties of egg create a needed impact on your dull, dry and damaged hair. They can help restore shine to dry hair and are also useful in taming frizz. The natural fatty acids in eggs can infuse split ends with the nutrients needed to restore the hair's natural shine and also maintain its texture. Here are some home based recipes to make such conditioners. To add body, bounce and shine to your hair Whip up one/two raw eggs. Massage this mixture on your hair and let it stay for half an hour or so or until dry. Shampoo your hair and then follow it up with a vinegar and water rinse. The protein in the egg coats each hair shaft and adds body and thickness. Follow this procedure twice a month for bouncy, soft and smooth hair. (Check out these protein hair rinses as well.)

For oily, dull and limp hair

Add 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice to a whole egg. Whisk it properly. Once applied on your hair keep it for sometime. Rinse it thoroughly. Follow it up with a lemon and water rinse. This gives a shine to your dull hair.

For smooth hair

#1 Mix together 1 tbsp. honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp. almond oil and 1 tbsp. yoghurt. Make a frothy paste and apply it on your hair. Rinse it in 1/2 hours time. This will smooth your hair and moisturize it evenly. #2 Beat egg yolk thoroughly to make a frothy solution. Add 1 tsp baby oil and beat again to make a proper mixture. Add water to this mixture and apply it all over your scalp. Once dry, rinse well to get a proper conditioned treatment. For dry hair

Add a cup of milk to a whole egg and beat it until frothy. Then rub this mixture into your scalp. Leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse the hair thoroughly with water. Do this once in a week to condition your hair.

Good Conditioners

#1 Mix 1 or 2 egg yolks (depending on how long and dense your hair is!) with 1/2 tsp. Castor oil. Massage this mixture on your hair. Keep it for sometime then rinse it thoroughly. 

#2 Mix egg yolk in 1/4 cup of yoghurt with 1 tsp of Lemon Peel powder. Blend the ingredients thoroughly and apply it to every single strand of hair. Keep it for 10-15 minutes and then wash it off.

#3 Beat egg yolk to make a frothy paste. Then add one tablespoon honey (Buy here), one teaspoon almond oil/olive oil and ¼ cup of yoghurt. Apply this on the hair and rinse off after 20-25 minutes. Yoghurt is also a very good conditioner and the combination of these two works wonders on your hair. This is also a good treatment for dry and damaged hair.

To treat sticky hair Add 2 tsp of olive oil to a whole egg and beat this mixture well. Then add 3 tbsp of amla powder (Buy here) to it and mix it thoroughly. Apply to your hair. Leave it on for half an hour and then shampoo it off.

To revitalize your hair after swimming Mix egg, olive oil and peeled cucumber to make a good mixture. Spread it evenly on your hair and keep it for 10 minutes. Rinse it thoroughly. This treatment helps minimize the damage caused to the hair by the chlorinated waters of the swimming pool.

Basil has anti-ageing properties

Holy Basil (Tulsi) for long has been used in Ayurvedic medicine and in home-remedies to treat colds, fevers, coughs, skin diseases and also to provide relief in eyelid inflammation and itching. As a beauty aid, it’s used in face-packs; it’s found to be quite effective in treating acne as well. Read all about it here. Now for the most interesting part. Recent research has found that Tulsi can combat the harmful effects of ageing, thus confirming its usefulness as a youth-promoting herb. The Details: In the first formal study of the herb, researchers, led by Dr Vaibhav Shinde from Poona College of Pharmacy, Maharashtra, India, studied the anti-ageing properties of the herb and found that holy basil extract was effective at actively searching for and eliminating free radicals.

Interesting hair facts

A collection of some interesting, quirky bits of hair trivia. Enjoy!

• Hair is dead protein once it has appeared from your scalp.
• Hair is a reflection on the overall condition of your body. A healthy strand of hair should stretch by about 30% before it breaks.
• Each hair on your body comes equipped with a tiny muscle that can make it stand upright.
• The average number of hairs on the head is 100,000.
• Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the body, second only to bone marrow.
• Asian hair grows the fastest, has the greatest elasticity and, and is least prone to balding.
• Hair is present all over the body-except palms, soles and some parts of genitals.
• Average rate of hair-growth is 0.37 mm/day.
• The average uncut scalp hair length is about 25 to 100 cms. Though in exceptional cases it may be as long as 170 cm.
• Hair grows faster in warm weather.
• Female hair grows more slowly than male hair.
• Male hair is denser than female hair.
• 90% of scalp hairs are growing and 10% are resting.
• It is normal to lose 100 hairs per day from the scalp.
• Elderly people have slower hair growth and diminished hair density. Over 50% of men by age 50 have male pattern hair loss. And over 40% of women by the time they reach menopause will have female pattern hair loss.
• In ancient Egypt, the priests plucked every single hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
• Humans have about the same number of hair follicles as a chimpanzee has.
• Trichotillomania (TTM), is a problem characterized by the repeated urge to pull out hair fibers mainly from the scalp, though the focus can also be on pulling eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, nose, pubic or other body hair. It is a condition in which the affected individual plucks or pulls out their own hair resulting in bald patches. The general causes of Trichotillomania may be anxiety disorders or mood problems.
• Traction alopecia is also a hair-pulling disorder. But here the cause may involve things like tight hat bands or tight braids. If bands are used to tie tight pony tails, or cornrow hair styles are used then the roots of the hair are pulled on (traction). And when the traction continues for a long time and the same hair is repeatedly stressed, then the hair sheds off and the follicles in the skin can become damaged. The hair may eventually stop growing leading to permanent scarring alopecia. Traction alopecia is a substantial risk in hair weaves, which are usually worn either to conceal hair loss, or purely for cosmetic purposes.
• Uncombable Hair Syndrome (UHS) is a rare disease in which the hair grows in silvery-blond or straw-colored, stands out straight from the scalp and is impossible to comb. Affected hair is dry, curly, brittle, and progressively uncombable, eventually taking on a “spangled” or shimmery appearance, most likely due to the reflection of light off the irregular surface of the shaft and only scalp hair is affected. It is normally seen in early infancy and childhood and is most likely to disappear as a person grows up.

Caring for your neck and some awesome neck-exercises

The importance of a long, beautiful and elegant neck has been an integral part of conventional beauty from ancient days. In Africa, many tribes have a dreadful custom of putting copper rings around the necks of their baby girls to elongate them and show how prosperous they are!

It is the tendency of many women to neglect their necks, while a firm, young-looking neck is one of the greatest beauty assets, especially when women wear low necklines in summer. In winter, it is very easy to neglect your neck because you are all muffled up in sweaters and scarves and polo necks.