Skincare tips

Of late my life has become like a pressure cooker. There's a big deadline looming and a lot depends on it ... well maybe a lot less than I imagine, but then I have a hard time differentiating between the concept of a deadline and a national emergency.  Anyway, consequently I've been reading articles about how to cope with stress at work, and one thing led to another and I ended up reading about how stress was my skin's biggest enemy!

So I wasted no time in doing something about it. I set out googling furiously about what I could do about it and tried to glean a few more skincare tips from Youtube as well. Here are some of my latest finds. Keeping in tune with all the fuss about the global economic meltdown and consumer confidence/retrenchment, I have some inexpensive tips as well:

1. Bliss triple oxygen instant energizing mask (Sephora, around $60) - Ladies and gentlemen, this is the ultimate 5 minute fix for your skin with the most visible results ever! In just 5 minutes, your skin will be smooth, fresh and glowing. I read tons of reviews online about this product to the same effect, but having used several facemasks in the past that never give me the same glow as a salon facial, I had my doubts. However, the effects of this mask are highly visible and last at least two days. Whether the mask really does anything for your skin in the long run, I don't know and it's too early to tell as I only just started using it around 2 weeks ago, but it does wipe off the tiredness off your skin in an instant. Great for use before a party or after a long night of partying, or just on regular weekdays. Also, the mask is based on the concept of supplying a high volume of oxygen to your skin or some such, so its like any other face-mask and is not a chemical peel or anything I'd stay away from. Only downside is that it's a bit expensive, costing around $60, however you do get a fairly big bottle for the money. It is available at Sephora and I'd guess other stores that have the Bliss line of products, such as Macy's and Bloomingdales.

2. Sugar and lemon scrub - This was something I found on Youtube. Just take a few spoons of (granulated, not superfine) sugar and mix it with lime juice, until it is moist but not liquid. It makes the ultimate face scrub. Your skin will be super smooth and ready for some smooth makeup application. You'll wonder why you've been spending so much money on face scrubs all these years when the perfect scrub was sitting in your pantry all along. Seriously, try this. Only downside is that if you have super sensitive skin, the lime juice may sting a bit.

3. Warm honey - This is the ultimate moisturising, rejuvenating face mask for the lazies. Just pop some honey into your microwave, for not more than 5 seconds (honey heats up real fast). And then apply on your face, keep it on for 10 minutes and rinse. Great for winters.

4. Vitamin E oil - is great for applying around your eyes. I usually leave some on at night, around once or twice a week. It is supposed to have strong anti-oxidant abilities (all the rage these days) and does reduce lines/dark circles around your eyes, making them look less tired. This should be available at any pharmacy store for about $7 a bottle.

Hope you find this useful. Leave a comment if you have any suggestions yourselves!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Skin care has been one of my hobbies for a very long time. How can skin-care possibly be a hobby? Well, if you spend hours on the net looking for information on skin care, watching youtube videos about how to make face-masks at home, and browsing through stores such as The Body Shop, Sephora or even the beauty aisles in drug-stores every week, then it does qualify as a hobby, I should think. 

Luckily for me, my office is situated in a location where Sephora, Body Shop and Bloomingdales are just steps away. After a long day or week at work, there's nothing I enjoy more than to pamper myself with a new product to try at these places. I don't spend too much on clothes, shoes or jewelry, but skin care products and cosmetics are my only indulgence. Those and tabloid magazines. But I'll do a dedicated post on how tabloids enrich our lives with news about Jen and Brad some other day ;)

As an Indian, I've often had trouble finding the right skin-care and cosmetics products for myself in America. Most products here are obviously geared towards white women and it takes some experimenting before you can find what is right for brown skin. Here are a few of my favorite products after 5 years of , should I say, intensive research? Most of these are not too expensive and can be easily found anywhere in the US. Skin-care for me also means finding good makeup. So I'll mention some of my fav makeup products as well.

1. Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser - It is about 8$ and is available in most drug stores. Having tried a number of other face-washes ranging from Olay, Loreal to more expensive ones from Body Shop, I find that this face wash is the least drying. Also, it has a very gentle exfoliator and it does seem to brighten complexion.

2. Aloe Soothing Day Cream from Body Shop - This is the BEST and most effective moisturizer that I've ever used in my life. My facial skin is hyper sensitive and tends to itch for most products. However this product never irritates my skin. A little goes a long way and just the texture of this product is soo good and smooth that your skin just drinks it up. I've been using this product for almost two years now, and I'm happy to have ended my quest for the perfect moisturizer.

3. Smashbox Foundation Primer (Macy's, Sephora) - Anybody who wears a foundation MUST use this product. It's simply brilliant. The texture is amazing and once applied to your face, even in the driest of winters, your foundation wont turn flaky and will just glide on smoothly all over your face. Apply moisturizer first, followed by the primer. Provides a perfect canvas for applying foundation.

4. Mac Fluidline in Black (Macy's, Bloomingdales) - Anybody who covets beautiful black Kim Kardashian-like eyes must buy this product. This is a "gel-liner" that comes in a tiny jar and lasts a really long time. Must be applied with a brush. It creates a rich, black contour and stays on all day without smudging one little bit. Most other eyeliners I've used fade by mid-day. One can get adventurous and try other colors in this line too. 

5. OLAY in-shower body lotion (drug-store) - If you live in a really cold place like I do, and are almost always late for work, this is perfect for you. This product must be applied after rinsing off your body wash while you're still in the shower. While one may argue that it should take about as much time to apply body lotion AFTER the shower, I beg to differ. For one thing, there's a little less inertia to reach out for a bottle of this product while you're still in the shower and are finding ways to stay in the warm water for just one more minute. Also, goes on a lot more easily than body lotion.

6. Good ol' Lakme Foundation (Indian stores) - Yes, who knew Lakme is really that good? I see brands like Maybelline and Loreal in most big departmental stores in India these days. But believe me, nobody knows India skin like the Lakme guys do. I have tried countless foundations in the USA and I'm disappointed to see that almost none are suited for brown skin. I now stock up on my Lakme foundation every time I visit India.

ALTERNATIVES - For those who don't have access to Lakme products, you can try giving Smashbox foundations a shot. Everyday Minerals may work for you too. Try the everyday minerals sample kit for free ($4 for shipping). They give you upto 6 samples that'll last you for months. Try their product in Olive intensive/medium/sandy if you have brown skin and see if you get lucky! (Everyday minerals are only available for purchase online)

7. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Sephora) - Have you ever wondered how some women manage to keep their eyeshadow on all day? I always thought they reapplied until I discovered this product. Apply a teeny bit of this on your eyelid before applying the eyeshadow and it'll stay on all day without fading. A must-have really.

There are a few other products I can think of, but then again, I'm sure I'll be doing at least a few other posts on beauty, so will save those for then. Youtube is a great resource for learning more about make up.