Beauty Box | Clean & Clear Morning Energy Face Wash

I am not a morning person. I am just not! I have tried becoming one, but it has never really worked out.
I have always envied those people who are all bright and chirpy first thing in the morning.
To help me become a more morning loving person my friend introduced me to Clean & Clear Morning Energy Face Wash.
Her logic, anything that can infuse me with a dose of energy in the morning, I should try it out and see!

Since I have tried out everything from herbal tea to meditation techniques, I decided to give the face wash try. Anything that will help me hate the mornings a little less.

While the face wash has not made me a morning person, it has managed to energize my skin and retain the morning freshness throughout the day.
Trust me,like me, if you are someone who is doomed with oily skin, any product that can make your skin look fresh throughout the day is a boon. 

I have been using Clean & Clear Morning Energy face wash for over 10 days now. As the days progress, I have started seeing the results. While there has not been a drastic change the overall results have been positive.
After I started using the face wash my face looks less oily and shiny, which is a major blessing for someone with oily skin.

Here are my views about Clean & Clear Morning Energy Face Wash.

Creatives by Digital Daku

Clean & Clear Morning Energy face wash works like a magician and brightens up the dullest skin. Thanks to the bursting beads, you can get a burst of morning energy at any time of the day.
The face wash is available in three fruity variants. Each one has a distinct, no-overpowering scent that lingers in a pleasant way.
The rich foam lathers well and thoroughly removes all excess oil and dirt. The special ingredients help prevent common skin irritation without drying your skin. 

The highlight of Clean & Clear Morning Energy face wash is the bursting beads- its trademark feature. These beads gently burst and exfoliate your skin and leave it looking fresh and glowing.

As much as I love the product, it is Clean & Clear Morning Energy Face Wash’s #SeeTheRealMe campaign that has won me over.

Through the #seetherealme campaign, teenage girls are encouraged to show the world who they really are and not give too much attention to what people think about their looks or complexion, hair, clothes or shape.
With so much pressure on women, especially teenage girls, to look a particular way, this campaign comes as a breathe of fresh air. It emboldens teen girls to be proud of who they are and let the world #seetherealme!

Please Note: Before using/ buying any of these products please make sure they are right match and compatible with your skin type.

Till then, tra-la,

   Amena!!
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Smooth Sailing With Gillette Venus

Sometime, second time's the charm. What may have not worked the first time round, could, very well, be the best thing that happened to you on the second go!

My shaving experience is one such ‘second time’s a charm’ story. 

I started my hair removal journey with shaving and then stopped it after having my head filled with shaving myths. Since then, I’ve switched to waxing.  

My entire outlook on shaving changed a little over a month ago. Along with finally getting all the age-old shaving myths busted, I also discovered correct shaving techniques and methods thanks to Dr. Rashmi Shetty and Namrata Soni.
After hearing all the benefits and pros of shaving at Gillettte Venus Smooth Sail event, I decided to give shaving another try. 

Happy to say, this was one of the best moves I’ve made. As a creature of comfort and habit I avoid change of any kind.

However, the #SubscribeToSmooth challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to adapt to this much needed and welcomed change.

Not only is shaving cost effective, less time consuming and self-reliant, it also does no damage your skin. Unlike waxing where I would sometimes get red blotches, no such thing has occurred post shaving. 

Since I re-discovered shaving, I have shaved 3 times and have not found any skin damage, irritation or discolouration. In fact, I found my ingrowth problem reduced.

One of the reasons why I am finding a huge difference in my pervious and recent shaving experience is, the change in my methods of shaving.

Previously, I used to only dry shave. That was a huge mistake. Now I make sure my skin is well lathered with a good quality shaving gel before shaving. 

To pull out the small hair, I used to stretch my skin a lot. Bad move. Instead of stretching the skin, the right way to do it is by stretching the arm and leg itself. This will give a smooth finish without damaging the skin in anyway.

Shaving disasters and the subsequent nicks and burns was one of the reasons why I decided to stop shaving completely. My biggest shaving mistake was applying too much pressure on the razor. The trick is to invest in a high quality and technologically enhanced female razor like Gillette Venus, which is designed to glide with minimum effort over the skin’s surface.

I was not very particular about moisturising post shaving before. Major mistake. It is extremely important to moisturise after shaving. Applying a good moisturise or even Lacto Calamine post shaving is vital and helps keep your skin smooth and healthy.

Post usage, wash your razor thoroughly and store in a dry place in an upright position. Also, once you notice the coloured strip of your Gillette Venus razor discoloured or the blade has gone dull make sure you change the cartridge to get the optimal shave from your razor.

Thanks to #SubscribeToSmooth challenge I have had an opportunity to rethink my hair removal choices. Along with being extremely convenient, less time consuming, cost effective and self-reliant, shaving also has no side effects and is totally painless. A complete win-win situation! 

After years of shying away from it, I have finally added shaving to my grooming routine and I would recommend you do the same. 

Photography by Suraj Warrier and Mubasshir Sayed 

Till then, tra-la,

Amena!!

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Shaving Myths and Facts

They say old habits die hard. One such old habit is, blindly believing superstitions and old wives tales. The minute someone shares a new piece of information, we either totally reject it or completely believe it.
While I consider myself a practical rationalist and a freethinker, I too have been guilty of succumbing to myth believing in the past.

Among many things, I have been very skeptical about shaving for a long time. While I don’t remember any bad shaving experience, a friend filled my head with her bad shaving experience that had put me off shaving for a long time.

However, thanks to Gillette Venus’ Subscribe To Smooth challenge I have decided to give shaving another try. 

I learnt a whole lot about shaving and had all of my preconceived notions and myths debunked at the Smooth Sail event. 

Now that I have finally started shaving again, I can say with confidence that a whole lot of what is told/known about shaving is pure myth and hearsay.
Time to finally bust and demystify these age-old shaving myths!

These 5 classic myths along with a few more have kept women away from shaving. However, now with technologically advanced razors like Gillette Venus, the whole experience of shaving is not just time and cost effective, but also very convenient, self reliant and skin friendly.

I am finally free from all the preconceived negative notions about shaving. Now that I know the truth about shaving, I have made it an integral part of my grooming ritual.
After reading this post, I hope you do the same too.

Art work by Khalid Azeez

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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#SubscribeToSmooth With Gillette Venus

Fashion and grooming often go hand in hand. While we openly discuss all aspects of fashion, we are not so vocal about all our grooming rituals. 

In fact, this is one of the most important aspects of our grooming regime, and yet, we seldom talk about it openly. Time to put all qualms and inhibitions aside and freely discuss body hair.

As much as we wish and want, none of us are born hairless and we all have had our share of unwanted body hair issues. Without beating round the bush, lets get to the heart of the matter and discuss all things hair removal. 

As a teen, I started my hair removal journey with shaving until someone filled my head with multiple shaving myths. I then switched to waxing and since then I have been waxing. While I have occasionally opted for shaving, by and large I have stuck to waxing.

Recently, I was invited to a bloggers panel discussion with Gillette Venus brand ambassador Kriti Sanon, renowned dermatologist Dr. Rashmi Shetty and beauty expert Namrata Soni to discuss shaving and how it’s one of the most hassle free and painless methods of female hair removal. 

The panel discussion was the perfect opportunity for me to reacquaint myself with shaving and have all my shaving myths and doubts put to rest. 
From busting age-old shaving myths to sharing their personal shaving experience, the event was very insightful and informative. 

Here is what the three esteemed panelist had to say about shaving:

Speaking about Gillette Venus, Kriti Sanon said, “I have always followed a strict regime when it comes to taking care of my skin. Gillette Venus products have always been skin friendly owing to the unique design and distinctive features that perfectly suit a woman’s needs. The best part of shaving is that its hassle free and takes minimal time and enables one to be ready for any occasion at all times”.

Dr. Rashmi Shetty busted one of my personal shaving myths: “Majority of women have apprehensions with regards to shaving. Many of whom believe that shaving will make their skin become darker or that hair would grow faster and thicker which is why they refrain from it. However, in reality hair growth is determined by one’s genetic and hormonal makeup.”

 She hopes and aims to bust such age-old myths and impart knowledge about how shaving is one of the safest, most effective methods of hair removal.

Sharing her shaving experience, ace celebrity makeup maven, Namrata Soni, states, “From time to time, rumors and myths have been discussed around shaving. The basic essential to achieve a healthy skin is to use the right kind of products in the right manner. While hair removal is a key part of everybody’s beauty regime, we need to also ensure that we use the method that best suits our skin type. Personally, I believe that shaving is one of the safest and most convenient methods and is suitable for all types of skins”.

After having a one of on chat with the panelists and having all my queries and doubts put to rest, it is safe to say I am all set to #SubscribeToSmooth and give shaving another go with Gillette Venus.

I will be busting shaving myths and sharing my shaving experience over a series of upcoming post. Watch this space for more as I get ready to Smooth Sail with Gillette Venus.

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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Summer Beauty & Grooming Essentials

Nothing says warm days are upon us quite like the arrival of March. Summer season in India is known for being excruciatingly hot, almost cruel at times. Honestly, besides ranting on social media there is very little one can do about the soaring temperatures.

With mercury on the rise, this seems like the perfect time to update your beauty, makeup and grooming stash with these new summer friendly essentials.

1. What is it: Lakmé Lip Love Lip Balm- Strawberry; INR 200/- 

Why do I love it: I am a sucker for lip balms and use it year round. As someone who is blessed with healthy, hydrated lips, this product was ideal for me. For starters, I loved the fruity fragrance and the delicate reddish-pink tint and shine. Containing SPF 15 makes it a major added bonus. The texture is smooth and creamy on application. After application, the lip balm feels light on the lips and does not have a sticky after effect or oily residue. Just like it is stated on the package, “luxurious creamy core that moisturizes your lips”, Lakmé Lip Love lip balm delivers on all these promises.

If you are looking for a tinted, fruity lip balm, Lakmé Lip Love is just the thing you need. 

Along with Strawberry, it is also available in Vanilla, Peach and Cherry.

2. What is it: LUX Magical Spell Body Wash- Black Orchids and Juniper Oil; INR 150/-

Why do I love it: The thing I loved most about Lux Magical Spell Body Wash is its fragrance. It has a very sensuous, exotic scent. Along with black orchids there is a hint of jasmine, wood and vanilla. On initial use one may find the scent a tab big strong, however, the fragrance is not at all overpowering and lingers for a few hours after use.

I am not very picky about body wash and love trying out new ones. As long as I like the fragrance, I am good with it. Since I don’t have very dry skin, Lux Magical Spell Body Wash suited my skin perfectly well.

3. What is it: Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi; INR 2,850/- and Foot and Nail Cream; INR 200/-

Why do I love it: For someone who prefers open-toe shoes and sandals to closed one, keeping my feet clean and smooth at all times in an overly polluted city can be quite a challenge. 

Lucky for me, I discovered Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi. It is an electronic foot file that effectively removes tough, dead skin and calluses by exfoliating the feet. What I really liked about it is, it does not have sharp blades, this makes it very safe to use. It also manages to remove all the dead skin and leaves the feet smooth.

The overall experience and result is excellent. To make sure your feet stay clean and dead skin free for long, moisturise it daily with the foot and nail cream.

Keep in mind, this is an express pedicure and one cannot expect the same results as traditional, salon pedicure. 

Whether or not you lead an hectic life, this is one grooming product every woman (and man) should invest in.

4. What is it: Livon Moroccan Silk Serum; INR 259/-

Why do I love it: Ever since I discovered the secret ingredient to healthy hair, I have become an avid user and believer of all things Moroccan Argan Oil. 

Since I have wavy hair that tends to get frizzy on hot, humid days, I am very picky about my hair serum. However, after my mom tried Livon Moroccan Silk Serum and swore by it, I decided to give it a try.

What I loved most about it is, after application it leaves your hair feeling weightless, free flowing and gives it a shine and healthy glow. Also, it does not make your hair feel weighed down or leave a sticky residue. To add to this, it has a lovely fragrance to it.

Enriched with Vitamin E and infused with UV filters, unlike most available variants of Moroccan Argan Oil that are on the expensive side, Livon Moroccan Silk Serum is very pocket friendly and ideal for most Indian hair type.

5. What is it: Za True White Two Way Foundation; INR 550/-

Why do I love it: If you spent half your life dealing with oily skin woes, foundation is one product that will be on top of your ‘to avoid’ list. For that matter, any cream base makeup product. 

It was nothing short of sheer joy, when I discovered Za’s two way foundation. The beauty of the product is, it can be used wet or dry depending on your requirement. Since it is powder based, it gives a smooth matte, even toned complexion without clogging the pores, making the foundation oily skin friendly.

The foundation is infused with SPF 20 PA++ that provides the skin with much needed UVF protection. Available in 4 shades to complement every Indian skin tone, this foundation offers the best of both-powder and liquid, making it suitable for all skin types.

Please Note: Before using/ buying any of these products please make sure they are right match and compatible with your your skin and hair type.

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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She Walks in Beauty

There is an old saying, "When it rains, it pours." This saying could very well be applied to blogger events. Few weeks ago, I literally attended four events; one day after another.
The god of vanity were being overtly generous towards me, cause all the events were being hosted by beauty and personal grooming brands.

This post features two of those events. Not only did I have a great time at both these events, but I also got  a chance to learn some amazing makeup tips and hairstyles.

Inglot with your bestie!

Inglot recently invited a few fashion and beauty bloggers to experience 'the world of Inglot' with our bestie at their Khar (Bombay) store.

Along with getting our makeup and nails done, one of the key highlight of the event was learning new makeup tricks and tips from makeup maverick, Ojas Rajnani.  

[With Inglot Make up expert Ojas Rajnani, Kavisa from EpicChic and Ritcha from Ri(t)ch Styles.]

Here are a few very helpful makeup tips by Ojas:
 Always use a lip pencil/ lip liner matching the shade of your lipstick or matching your natural lip colours; not a shade darker than that. 

If you have deep set eye (like me), do not apply kajal/ eye liner all the way to the inside tip of the eye, instead start from where your lashes begin.
It is advisable to apply lipstick with a lip brush, rather that directly from the tube. Other than being hygienic, this also gives a better finish.

I don't know about you, but I totally love getting my makeup on.

My bestie for the event, Aamna, flaunting her gorgeous caviar manicure done by the team of Nail Spa. Inglot has one of the finest range of nail polish shades. Amazing colour selection.

No blogger event is complete without a group photo. Bloggers and their besties.

[Outfit Detail- Tunic Top: AND; Jeans: Marks and Spencer; Sandals: Lords; Neon Necklace: Accessorize India; Makeup Courtesy Inglot]
All in all, the entire event was a fun and learning experience for makeup lovers.

Moving on to the next event of the week. Let me start by saying, the amount of different hairstyles- plus, how to self create them- that were taught to us could easily put some YouTube channels to shame.
 

Monsoon Party at Jean-Claude Biguine Salon & Spa

 Rhea from FUSS invited me for a Monsoon Party that she was hosting in association with Jean-Claude Biguine Salon & Spa.
I have always had a wonderful experience with the team of Jean-Claude Biguine. This one too was next to perfect. An afternoon filled with friends, fun and fab hairstyling session. 

Band Of Bloggers: Ritcha, Reeneta, Shubhi, Roxanne, Kavisa, Ila, Dayle, Karishma, Rhea, Me and Aishwarya

I have two basic rules for a hairstyle: One, easy to create. Two, must suit my face cut.
For the longest time I have believed that straight, blow-dried hair is the perfect hairstyle for me.
That notion soon changed when Shayan, JCB's senior hairstylist decided to show me some easy to create hairstyles that would not only suit my face cut but also highlight my features.

The JCB team tried two hairstyles on me, but the one in the pictures-front bouffant with ponytail- is my favourite one.

How to style a front puff/poof/bouffant hairstyle:

1. Using a wide tooth comb, comb through your hair. Avoid using brushes and fine tooth combs as they are not monsoon friendly and do more damage than help.

2. With the help of a tail comb separate the front portion of the hair out and secure the remaining in ponytail.

3. Gently back comb the left out front hair and with the help of bobby pins, pin them up near the middle of the scalp.

4. Use L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin hairspray to set your hair. (This is a very mild hairspray and does not harm the hair).

We all were in such high spirits after getting our hair done up, photos were mandatory!

[Outfit Details- Top: Marks and Spencer; Jeans: AND; Necklace: Zara; Flat Sandals: Forever 21, Earrings: Gift, Lipstick: L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Pink Passion #371]

For more photos of this event visit Fashionopolis Facebook Page and Instagram.

I have been flaunting my new makeup tips and hairstyle ever since I learnt them.
What do you think of them? Share your views in the comment section.

Till then, tra-la,

 Amena!!

 Connect With Fashionopolis on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin' & Subscribe
Instagram: @a_fashionopolis
email me- a.fashionopolis@gmail.com