Beauty and Personal Grooming: March 2009

Dieting makes you look older?

Plump cheeks and soft features make us appear younger
If you have resorted to drastic methods, like yo-yo dieting to lose weight, then be aware that while it may make you look slender, it may also make you look much older. Research shows that being thin is what ages us most, with plump cheeks and soft features making us appear younger. So strong is the link that the loss of 10lb - around a dress size - can age a woman by four years, adds Mr Grover, a consultant plastic surgeon at King Edward VII Hospital in London. He goes on to say that while most people will find their cheeks start to lose their plumpness from around the age of 38, extreme dieters have the most to worry about. He further adds: “People who are trying to stay stick-thin lose weight from their face sooner than they would otherwise and this is extremely ageing. Yo-yo dieting not only creates volume loss, but also stretching of the facial supporting ligaments due to repeated facial volume gain and loss, which causes deeper nose-to-mouth lines and jowls. The more fat that is preserved in the face, particularly the cheeks, the more you will preserve the facial proportions of youth.”

Even exercise can make you lose weight from the face.

Medimix Ayurvedic Soap: Review

One of my favourites among natural and Ayurvedic soaps is Medimix Ayurvedic Soap. Its ingredient list includes 18 awesome herbs that are extremely soothing to the skin. The first time I tried it, I could sense that immediate difference; my skin felt so soft and clean. It’s good for acne-prone skin too; during the days that I had used it my skin was quite clear and it’s such a mild and gentle soap that my skin seemed to love it. It’s a great product to be used in summer months, especially, as it helps fight prickly heat rashes as well. I use it every now and then and definitely recommend it.

Medimix Ayurvedic Soap 125g - New Large Size

Beauty quotes

Here’s another collection of beauty quotes, some lucidly expressed thoughts and views of great minds. Enjoy!
Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.
- Ashley Smith
The beautiful things of the earth become more dear as they elude pursuit.
- Thomas Hardy
Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
- John Donne
It is foolish to wish for beauty. Sensible people never either desire it for themselves or care about it in others. If the mind be but well cultivated, and the heart well disposed, no one ever cares for the exterior.
- Anne Bronte
The only beautiful thing in the world whose beauty lasts for ever is a pure, fair soul.
- Bram Stoker
The perfection of her face created a sense of emptiness--like a house with no curtains in the window.
- Black Jack Point
Ne'er boast; for beauty is a dream that fades.
- Theocritius
Beauty soon grows familiar to the lover, Fades in his eye, and palls upon the sense.
- Joseph Addison

Do chocolates or greasy foods cause acne?

We all have grown up hearing this: “Eating chocolates and oily foods cause breakouts. So if you have acne-prone skin, avoid it like plague.” I have always had my own doubts about the veracity of this statement. I have an acne-prone skin and I have observed that whenever I eat chocolates or other fried stuff, it didn’t seem to have any obtrusive effect on my skin. What I mean to say is that it neither worsened already existing acne nor did it cause sudden breakouts when my skin was clear. And indeed my observation was correct. Recent studies have shown that eating chocolates and grease-laden food may pile on the calories, but blaming oily food alone for acne breakouts is incorrect. Leading dermatologists believe that pimples are caused by several factors like extreme stress, heredity or hormonal disturbances and not by oily food or chocolates. In fact, it has been found that dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and hence is beneficial for health.

Godrej Shikakai soap for hair: Review

Few weeks back, instead of a shampoo, I had used Godrej Shikakai soap to wash my hair. This soap's unique 3 in 1 formulation is enriched with shikakai, Amla (gooseberry) and Bhringraj to cleanse, condition and nourish your hair.

Godrej shikakai soap review - front side of the soap wrapper pic

Did you know?

Did you know some recent studies have found?

that staying active is the key to feeling young.
that women who drink two or more cans of soda pop per day are nearly twice as likely to show early signs of kidney disease.
that severe depression may silently break a seemingly healthy woman's heart.
that women in strained marriages are more likely than other wives to have high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.
that warmer weather and changes in atmospheric pressure could trigger headaches and migraines.
that children distressed by family fighting have higher stress hormones.
that uncertainty, rather than negative feedback is a powerful stress producer.
that gender plays a role when it comes to achieving well-being, and that men are much less likely to feel and express gratitude than women.

Ayur Silky Instant Bleach with Rose: Review

I don’t use crème bleach on my face quite often, partly because my skin is sensitive and acne-prone. It’s only during special occasions that I opt for bleaching, that too, to brighten up my face and conceal light facial hair.

Sometime back, when I had to attend a function, I decided to bleach my face two days prior to the event.

It’s always a good idea to try anything, say, coloring your hair, going in for a professional facial, tweezing your brows, plucking/threading your upper lip hair, and of course applying bleach on your face a couple of days before any big event so that you do not sport an unnatural look.

I had purchased ‘Ayur Silky Instant Bleach with Rose’ for this purpose and as per the instructions applied it to my face carefully. (You may read this post on step-by-step instructions for applying cream bleach.)

I left it for 25 minutes and after I washed my face found that it had done little to conceal facial hair and blend them to suit my skin-tone. And as mentioned on its label, it didn’t make my skin any fairer.

I have very sparse hair-growth on my arms and that certainly doesn’t need either waxing or shaving; so I tried using this bleach on my arms as well. This time, I left it on my arms for a good 35-40 minutes, but was not satisfied with the results.

To conclude, I didn’t like this product and don’t recommend it. It is available in 20gm, 70gm, 250gm pack. A 20 g pack costs Rs. 30/- .

Ayur Silky Bleach for instant fairness

You may also want to read The Wonders of Cream Bleach

Why women love makeup

Wearing makeup is a part of women’s culture; they use it to brighten up their face, add sparkle to their features, emphasize their appearance and express their personality. But there are some who overdo it and become the laughing stock of people around. Obtrusive paint most certainly puts everyone off and one must never go overboard and cover up one’s face with loads of makeup to make it look like a doll, which more often than not ends up resembling a clown’s.

Beauty quotes

More awesome beauty quotes for you to mull over:

Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks.
-- Charles Dickens
Justice, truth, and beauty are sisters and comrades. With three such beautiful words we have no need to look for any others.
-- Simone Weil
I have never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.
-- Unknown
All kinds of beauty do not inspire love; there's a kind which only pleases the sight, but does not captivate the affections.
-- Cervantes Saavedra
The average girl would rather have beauty than brains because she knows the average man can see much better than he can think.
-- Unknown
No woman can be a beauty without a fortune.
-- Farquhar George
There is no beautifier of complexion or form or behavior like the wish
to scatter joy, and not pain, around us.
-- Emerson
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.
-- Francis Bacon
Beauty is excrescence, superabundance, random ebulience, and sheer delightful waste to be enjoyed in its own right.
-- Donald Culross Peattie
Things are beautiful if you love them.
-- Jean Anouilh
Beauty without expression tires.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Some thoughts always find us young, and keep us so. Such a thought is the love of the universal and eternal beauty.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Beauty always promises, but never gives anything.
-- Simone Weil
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
-- Jawaharlal Nehru

Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil : Review

I had used Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil sometime back and really liked it, but completely forgot to write about it. This review will make up for it.

As I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I always like to apply hair oil the previous night before shampooing. Most of the time I use coconut oil for massaging my scalp, but I’ve also used olive oil and some homemade hair oils like aloe oil, hibiscus oil and store-bought ones like Dabur Vatika and Parachute coconut oil as well.

This almond drops hair oil with vitamin E, however, is a bit different from these oils; what I liked about it is that it’s light and non-greasy; so your hair doesn’t feel sticky after use. If you just feel like nourishing your hair roots anytime without any mess, just go ahead and apply this hair oil without any worries

As it’s non-sticky it won’t show -- that’s the best thing about this oil. It has a pleasant aroma that soothes your senses and I’ve also found that it’s a natural conditioner that also keeps the hair manageable and non-frizzy. During the period that I had used it, it certainly did leave my hair soft, smelling good and nourished.

Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil

Packed with the goodness of Almond oil, vitamin E, vegetable oil and mineral oil, Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil claims to keep hair healthy and long by stimulating hair growth. On the flip side, its container is a heavy glass bottle which is not so attractive to the eyes and it’s also not very convenient to carry while travelling. It comes in a 120ml or a 240 ml bottle and the expiry date is 36 months from the date of manufacture and that’s fine. I had used a 120 ml bottle twice a week and it lasted more than 6 months.

Mysore Sandal Talc : Review

I have grown up using several Mysore Sandal products, Mysore Sandal talc being one of them. The very name ‘Mysore sandals’ makes me nostalgic and takes me back to those days of my childhood when I would use no other soap but the Mysore Sandal Soap during my baths. I had also used Mysore sandal talc in those days and continue using it even now. The label reads: Mysore Sandal Talc- The only Talcum powder containing pure natural sandalwood oil, Rich in cooling and healing qualities". And truly, it’s a wonderful product; it keeps me fresh and fragrant and I love that mild fragrance of sandalwood that lingers throughout the day.

Mysore Sandal Talc 300g

Did you know?

* Dyscalculia is a collection of symptoms of learning disability involving the most basic aspects of arithmetic skills. The classic symptoms are problems with arithmetic and directions, punctuality, counting and change, trouble with mental math etc.

* According to a Beverley Hills urologist Dr. Gillespie, stilettos may cause urinary tract infections. High heels make the pelvis tilt forward and the back curve out. This causes lordosis, a condition that creates pressure on the sensory nerves; when the nerves are compromised, your bladder can’t empty properly, and the next thing you know, you’ve got a UTI, he explains.

* A study in Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that women who habitually exercised the equivalent of about one hour of walking a day exercise on a regular basis are less likely to develop urinary incontinence.

* New moms often yearn to shed their own post pregnancy dimpled bottoms faster, shouldn’t. Carrying extra weight for several weeks after delivery is normal, and probably healthier than shedding that fat, according to a new study. Just lifting your little one can help you get in shape – gently.

* Men may grow bigger muscles, but women’s have more stamina. A recent study compared the length of time men and women could hold a muscle contraction. The researchers found that the women lasted 75 percent longer. The explanation may be in the hormones: Estrogen seems to promote blood flow, and the more blood you can deliver to muscles, the longer they can work.

(Guest Post by RJ)

International Women's Day

Ayur cold cream with aloe vera : Review

Ayur cold cream is the one that I regularly use on my legs before retiring to bed to keep them soft and nourished. Enriched with wonder herb aloe vera and vitamin E it keeps the skin satin-soft and prevents moisture-loss and dehydration. Ideal for winters and dry skin, it’s very inexpensive, costing just Rs37/- . I’ve used all the 3 variants, of Ayur cold creams for several winters and in other seasons as well with good results. Easily absorbed by the skin, all the three creams have a rich concentration of natural moisturizers and lubricants which when regularly massaged into the skin help fight excessive dryness, premature ageing, and dehydration and tighten the skin to make it taut and agile.

Ayur Herbal Cold cream with aloe vera

Ayur Herbal All Purpose cream with aloevera

Ayur Herbal Massage cream with aloe vera

Everyuth ultra-mild facial scrub with micro granules

Pollution, sun, dust and grime play havoc on your skin; so even sensitive and delicate skin needs to be scrubbed clean as often as once a week. Mere cleansing is not enough, you shouldn’t skip this beauty routine of scrubbing just because your skin is sensitive; go in for a mild facial scrub that suits your skin instead. Everyuth ultra-mild facial scrub with micro granules is one such mild-scrub; do give it a try. As mentioned on the pack, this specially formulated Apricot and Papaya scrub’s mild exfoliating action deep cleanses pores from within and gently removes dead skin cells, blackheads and whiteheads – making skin feel fresh, healthy and smooth. While apricot moisturises skin making it soft and supple, papaya smoothens skin texture and removes dead skin cells.

Everyuth ultra-mild facial scrub with micro granules

Emami Pure Skin Glycerine Bar:Review

To fight winter dryness, I had used Emami Pure Skin glycerine bar, a bath soap meant for dry and delicate skin. It has extracts of aloe vera and olives as well to nourish and moisturize the skin and to keep it glowing throughout the day. The soap itself is of a transparent green color and exudes a gentle fragrance. It’s mild on the skin and seems most suitable for dry skin. For just Rs.23/- for 75g, it’s a good buy.

Emami Pure Skin Glycerine Bar

Ayur Herbal Shampoos:Review

I’ve used these four shampoos by Ayur. Packed with wonderful herbs, Ayur claims that these shampoos not only cleanse your hair but also help with hair problems like thinning hair, dandruff, gray hair and lack of luster. Certainly I haven’t experienced any problems while using these shampoos and they did leave my hair squeaky clean, though they didn’t give me absolutely great-looking hair. How about you all? Let me know in your comments. Here’s a brief profile of those shampoos:

Ayur Amla, shikakai with Reetha shampoo

Ayur Amla, Shikakai with Reetha Shampoo

This shampoo is an excellent mixture of nourishing, cleansing and foaming agents. It stimulates the scalp, strengthens the hair roots and prevents thinning of hair.

Ayur Soya protein shampoo

Ayur Soya protein shampoo

Soya provides all the essential proteins required by thin and delicate hair. It enriches the scalp to get thick and dense hair to provide luster and bounce.

Ayur Lemon Shampoo

Ayur Lemon Shampoo

Lemon being a rich source of vitamin C, has the property to draw excess oil from the hair. Besides this, it is an excellent cleanser and good for dandruff-prone hair.

Ayur Henna Tulsi shampoo

Ayur Henna Tulsi Shampoo

This unique combination of premium herbs like Tulsi and henna that are full of vitamins and proteins brings life to dull and damaged hair. Henna, with its extraordinary conditioning property and Tulsi, with its strong tonic properties, prevents hair-fall and graying of hair and also adds bounce and sheen to it.

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