Smytten Review | An App For Beauty Skincare Haircare Health Lifestyle Fanatics | Try And Buy And Try Some More | Beauty Haul | Beauty Review

I have no clue how I did not join the Smytten app yet, but worry not, better late than never :) 

Smytten is an app with a wordplay on 'smitten', and it allows all beauty, skincare, healthcare, haircare, lifestyle fanatics to try products from top-notch brands before buying them. It is an app with a shop and a trial section where one needs to pay only Rs. 199 for picking up sample size products from brands such as Just Herbs, Aroma Magic, Votre, Seer Secrets and many more. These sample size products differ in quantity from 10 ml or 10 grams to 50-60 ml or 50-60 grams. In short, they are enough to use for 2-4 times so that the user can make up their mind if it is worth buying the full size product or not. 

If worth it, then simply go to the Smytten shop section and buy the product! Easy-peasy. But the best part about this app is that every time we pay Rs. 199 for the trial section, we get Rs. 169 back in our wallet that can be used for more trials or we can get Rs. 169 off while purchasing a full-sized product! How cool is that! 

So I made an account on Smytten, logged in using my mobile number, and fell in love with so many options for the trial part. There were 6 points in my wallet and each trial sample has certain points assigned to them. So, for example, a Votre 50 grams cream for 2 trial points while a Just Herbs 10 ml rose water for 1 trial point. Sometimes there are full sized products for 6 trial points too! 

I chose samples using the 6 trial points and got Rs. 169 points back in my wallet. Then I went to the shopping section and got Aaranyaa Hair Spa at a massive 40% discount PLUS Rs. 169 OFF! This is called Super-Bonanza shopping :D And after shopping for a full-sized product, I got 6 more trial points in my account. And so on and so forth. Now looking at my haul size, you can see for yourself how many samples I got in 3 rounds...And there is so much more to try out. 

I am a beauty and skincare junkie so I got shampoo, conditioner, hair oil, face wash, clay masks..but there are samples of tea, perfumes, handmade craft materials, eco-friendly hygiene materials and MUCH MORE that I am craving to sample. 

Pretty Soon my friends, Pretty Soon :) 

Oh, if you want to sign up to Smytten now, you can use my referral code CW9cayr..of course you can sign up without it too. You will get your own referral code and everytime someone signs up using that and places a trial order, you will get Rs. 200 cash in your wallet to spend on buying awesome products. So if you feel like this pose added a bit of joy to your life, do consider using my referral code --> CW9cayr :)

Herb Life Product Haul | Herbal Products Review | Aloe Vera Gel Saffron Gel Red Wine Gel Nalpamarathi Oil Rose Water | Beauty Review

I used to pride myself on my knowledge of social media navigation. Yet, the more time I spend online, the more I learn something new and realize that it is probably bigger than our real universe! For instance, even though I have been a beauty blogger for more than 2 years now, it was only very recently that I found there was a thriving beauty industry active on Instagram. 

This is the place of organic, natural, homemade, handmade products such as serums, lotions, creams, soaps, scrubs, masks, and much more, made in small batches by enthusiastic and passionate entrepreneurs. Away from the glitz and glamour of all the big brands that occupy our shopping malls' shelves, these Instagram brands have a cult following. 

I was intrigued and I researched a bit and found out so many new brands offering wonderful products at down-to-earth prices. Couldn't resist. Especially since the year 2020 saw me at the worst of my skin and hair woes thanks to the whole of 2019 being a big battle against a lot of family, personal, and health issues. 

Anyway....after much research, I thought, let me try some such products and see where it leads us..and so I got this little haul from Herb Life, available on Instagram @herblife_soap :) It has- 

-Aloe Vera Gel 

-Saffron Gel 

-Red Wine Gel 

-Pure Rose Water 

-Almond Face Pack 

-Hair Growth Oil 

-Nalpamarathi Oil

I chose these products after consultation with the brand itself, and after using these products for more than a month, here are my views on all:- 

Aloe Vera Gel Review | Saffron Gel Review | Red Wine Gel Review 

Pure gels that did not react or give allergies of any kind to my super-sensitive skin that turns red at the slightest provocation *eye roll* I liked the Red Wine Gel the most! It felt light and cool on my face and brightened it immensely. Red Wine is famous for anti-ageing properties and I am sure this gel will perform anti-ageing miracles on mature skin after long usage. Aloe Vera and Saffron gels were cool, soothing, just as expected. Though I thought that the saffron gel would provide more brightening effect, but it was just a normal gel, the red wine gel happened to be better here. 

Hair Growth Oil Review 

Has a strong smell of curry leaves, bhringraj and many other herbs. Nourished my hair, though I did not see any new hair growth in the one month that I used it. But it worked beautifully in conditioning my super dry hair when I applied in on my scalp for 2 hours before shampoo. No complaints. 

Almond Face Pack Review

I believe it has besan, sandalwood, turmeric alongside Almonds. A little bit on the coarse side but still wonderful for my super-sensitive skin. I mixed it with aloe vera gel and rose water and a little bit of curd and applied on my face for 10 minutes 3 times every week and it left my skin super-soft and bright. Loved it. Also gives light exfoliation, a win-win proposition.

Nalpamarathi Oil Review 

I heard about Kumkumadi and Nalpamarathi oil about 2 years ago from several fellow bloggers but didn't use, for one reason or other, mainly because most big brands out there are super-expensive. But this one is so value-conscious -imagine this little bottle of wonder for only Rs. 100!!! I couldn't resist from picking it up. It is a thick concoction with sesame oil, turmeric, castor oil, and many other beneficial and potent oils for brightening the skin, making it soft, smooth, working on pigmentation, acne marks..basically it IS a wonder oil, purely Ayurvedic formulation. I have used this regularly twice a day, 4 drops suffice for my whole face, and it has CONSIDERABLY LIGHTENED my old acne scars! Sorry for yelling, but I am IN LOVE with this little bottle. 

Pure Rose Water Review 

Now everybody knows the good effects of Rose Water for our skin, right? But I never used rose water...because a long time ago I had used Gulabari that had made my skin reddish and allergic :( Very recently I realized that it is not pure rose water and is full of chemicals. When I picked up Herb Life Pure Rose Water, I had no idea it would be soooooo good. Another MUST-HAVE from this brand. It smells soooooo good, pure, light, feels like feather on my skin, refreshes it, soothes it, brightens it, keeps redness away from my cheeks. I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOVE it.

Oh, and by the way, do you know how much I paid for all this? LESS THAN RS. 1200, including shipping! Yes, this has to be the most budget-conscious pricing EVER :)

YES 

• Pure Ayurvedic formulations
• Made in fresh batches
• Unbelievably value-conscious
• All claims are true
• Works fabulously on my super-sensitive skin
• Did I tell you how value-conscious it is!!!

NO 

• The packaging does not have any ingredients list
• Is not available on amazon, nykaa, or our departmental stores

Recommended - YES. Rating for all products is 5/5 because I do not know where to cut marks :P 

Ancient Living Kasturi Turmeric Review | Ayurveda Wisdom | Haridra Churna | Beauty Review

Besan-Haldi, Chandan-Haldi...Haldi or Turmeric is considered a super food and a multi-functional herb in India because Ayurveda tells us about its many benefits for our body. It detoxifies, cleans the liver, helps in building immunity, eases pain, brightens complexion, so on and so forth. Every Indian household has plenty of turmeric at all times, for eating as well as cosmetic purposes. 

So no surprises that I also keep buying beauty and skincare products with turmeric...or turmeric itself from time to time specifically for use in skincare routine :) Here is a review of Ancient Living Kasturi Turmeric that I got from Qtrove especially for use in daily face masks. 

Packaging of Ancient Living Kasturi Turmeric is highly functional and environmentally friendly. It comes in a little glass jar that can be used even after the turmeric gets over for storage. I also find it travel friendly, though it is bulky, and well it is glass, so butterfingers be careful :D There is a refill pouch available too.

Ingredients list is Pure Kasturi Turmeric. Plain and Simple.

Claims that this aromatic Kasturi Turmeric would increase skin luminosity with regular usage and won't stain skin like normal cooking turmeric.

Availability of  Ancient Living Kasturi Turmeric is good online on sites such as Amazon, Nykaa, and Qtrove. I got it for Rs. 225 for 100 grams.

Quantity is good enough to last more than a month even when using everyday since only half a spoon is needed each day.

Usage - Mix it with other herbs, powders, aloe vera gel, milk, curd, rose water...possibilities are endless.

Effect - I use a face mask everyday since more than a decade now, and my favorites are from Forest Essentials, Ayur Herbals, Auravedic... I love mixing ingredients like Sandalwood (Chandan), Turmeric (Haldi), Multani Mitti (Indian clay), and other herbs with aloe vera gel, rose water, curd, and apply all over my face and neck for 10 minutes and then wash it off. 

This is not something that shows results overnight but I have stuck with this routine for over a decade and it keeps my skin baby soft. I use a variety of other cleansers, face washes, exfoliators, ready-to-use face masks too...but a homemade face mask is a must everyday before shower. Over long usage, it keeps skin healthy. 

After all, in earlier days, before all these brands bombarded our shopping malls, our grandmothers made these concoctions in their kitchen and had the most amazing skin, right? :) I love Ancient Living Kasturi Turmeric since it works exceptionally well, over time, in brightening my skin, and keeping dark blemishes away. 

See, I am a lady, and I often get pimples in my 'time of the month' and they leave behind dirty black marks. In my experience, it is only with regular usage of Haldi that these marks can be banished. So I absolutely recommend it to everyone who loves homemade packs and wants to use Haldi for skin care :) 

YES 

• Pure Ayurvedic product
• Nice aroma
• True to its claims
• Works on acne marks
• Brightens skin with regular usage
• Suits my sensitive skin
• Available online on Amazon, Nykaa, Qtrove etc.

NO 

• A little bit on the expensive side

Recommended -YES. The quality of the product justifies its price. Rating is 4.5/5.    

Mamaearth Onion Hair Oil Review | Anti-Hairfall Product With Onion Oil & Redensyl | Haircare Review | Beauty Review

My skin and hair are problematic. No big reveal there. But the past 2 years have seen the problems worsen, especially for my hair. It is also attributable to extreme stress at home and some health issues I have been having. While I am trying to get my health back, it is no fun to deal with constant dandruff and hair fall. Thus I am trying a lot of different products that claim to be good for these issues. And here is one of the most raved new entrants in the hairfall control department, Mamaearth Onion Hair Oil. 

After hearing so many beauty bloggers and skincare experts claim that onion is good for controlling hairfall, I couldn't stop myself from buying this. So now, let us see how it fared :)

Packaging of Mamaearth Onion Hair Oil is simple and appealing, I love the bright color scheme of all Mamaearth products. And it seems secure enough for travelling too.

Ingredients list is full of tempting ones such as Jojoba oil, Onion Seed Oil, Onion extract, Bhringraj Oil, Castor Oil, Sesame Oil, Vitamin E, and more. NO mineral oil and NO silicones. Suitable for everyone, all age, all genders, all hair types.

Claims that this hypoallergenic Mamaearth Onion Hair Oil boosts hair growth, controls hairfall, strengthens scalp and improves hair shine too.

Availability of  this Onion Hair Oil is good online. I bought it from Amazon for Rs. 499 for 150 ml. (There was some sale so I got it for little less,you can also buy it during sale). You can also buy it from Nykaa or Mamaearth's website or other e-commerce websites.

Quantity is good enough to last about 45 days when used every alternate day on shoulder length thick hair.

Usage - Take a few drops. Massage into your scalp to let the roots absorb it. Keep it for a few hours or overnight. Wash off with a good mild shampoo.

Effect - My scalp is itchy, dandruff prone, while my hair is super-curly, frizzy, and constantly dry. What an amazing combination! So clearly, nobody can blame me for trying out as many products as possible for managing my hair. Well, I started using Mamaearth Onion Hair Oil with high hopes, looking at all the brilliant ingredients, including the much-acclaimed 'revolutionary' ingredient of Redensyl that is supposed to target the roots and improve hair growth. It takes a couple of months to show results though, so it is no use being impatient while using this product. 

I started taking a little bowl of this oil and massaged it all over my scalp 3 times a week. Thereafter I would also coat my hair with it and braid it and then leave it for about 3 hours. Afterwards, I washed it off using my favorite Khadi Neem Shampoo or any other shampoo (I keep rotating shampoos but come back to Khadi often!). Then I would use one of my favorite conditioners that I keep at home-either Dove or Aaranyaa Argan Hair Spa. 

I did not see any dramatic results in the first 15 days, but YES, then I did start seeing noticeable difference in hair fall. My hair felt smoother, and I know it is because of this oil because I did not use any other new product in this one month period :) I won't say it completely stopped hair fall. But after 1 month of using Mamaearth Onion Hair Oil, I am proud to say that instead of about 200 hair strands everyday, I am losing just about 50-60 hair strands. My hair does not have any dramatic increase in shine but I feel that it is stronger. 

I know that I need to spend more time using this as well as taking care of my diet and health status to completely stop hairfall, dandruff, and other issues. So I am just happy and ready to repurchase this. Oh also, if you are wondering about its smell, NO it does not smell unbearable like an onion :P It has so many other oils in the mix that the onion smell is nicely masked. But yes, it does have a strong smell that should not bother anyone except very very sensitive noses.

YES 

• No silicones or mineral oil
• Controls hairfall as promised
• Does not have unbearable onion smell
• Can be used by anyone
• Easily available online

NO 

• A bit expensive, but honestly worth it
• Have to be patient in seeing results

Recommended -YES. It feels expensive while buying and the results are slow but I am happy that it does what it promises. Rating is 4.5/5.  

Shawarma Express | Delicious Shawarmas Healthy Sandwiches And More | Food Delivery | Review

Before yesterday, I have had Shawarma a total of 4 times in my lifetime, 2 were disasters and 2 were mindblowing. Thanks to Shawarma Express, now I can safely say that I have had EXCELLENT Shawarmas a total of 3 times in my life so far :D

They sent over some delicious food for review that was delivered by an extremely soft spoken boy on time. We all know the traffic condition in Mumbai and despite that, whenever anyone makes timely delivery, I am super-duper impressed. So a good start :) I tried and LOVED everything. In fact, honestly, I did not have huge expectations, because come on, there was a sandwich and a pasta and a shawarma, and how extraordinary can any of these taste. But boy, was I left licking the plate clean!

CORN-SPINACH GRILLED SANDWICH- Generous portion of spinach and corn with a mild infusion of creamy cheesy flavor, this was more on the healthy side, even though the menu doesn't put them under such category. Very delicious, very filling, definitely worthy of reordering if you want something tasty without compromising on health quotient.

PENNE PASTA IN PESTO- Creamy basil pesto sauce and good chunks of mushrooms and corn with penne pasta sloshing in there tempting the hippo in me. Do not let the term 'healthy' even get anywhere near your mind while having this. It is ULTRA CHEESY, ULTRA CALORIFIC, ULTRA DELICIOUS. Maybe 5 million calories in there due to toooooo much creaminess, but who cares :D I am very greedy when it comes to such delicious food so I want more quantity please :P That's the only thing I can say to improve it, more quantity.

PANEER SHAWARMA (LARGE)- STAR of the meal. Huge Pita Bread rolled with Lebanese sauces including lip-smacking hummus, fried cabbage, pickles, and nice soft chunks of paneer. Too filling, too delicious. I am literally drooling over my keyboard as I am typing this! MUST-MUST-MUSTTTTT HAVE :)

This hungry hippo is still salivating thinking about this meal, so I suggest you get your fill soon too :D 

Baesic and Baesic Lite Mumbai Delivery | Delicious Light Yummy | Food That Is Bae | Food Review

BAE is the new buzzword, so why should food be left behind! Food that is Bae, now being served by Baesic and Baesic Lite. Got to try some delicacies from them for a review session and I am ready to go all bae-listic over how yummy everything is :)

Baesic is a delivery only brand for the new-age foodies who do not want to restrict themselves to just one cuisine, this is delicious food that is prepared with love and fresh ingredients and adheres to the only philosophy of it being flavorsome and delicious. 

Baesic Lite is the snackier cousin of Baesic that provides different dips and chips schemes all made-in-house without any artificial flavors or preservatives, so that when the foodies want something to munch on, they can simply reach over and have something that is light while being delicious.

So basically, both the brands aim at the urban youth who want delicious food that is not too heavy but also flavorsome and easy on the pocket. All points checked, here is what I tried and loved from Baesic-

PANANG TOFU CURRY NOODLE BOWL - Creamy curry with just the right amount of sweet, salty, savory, tangy touches, alongside big chunks of Tofu and Flat Noodles with corn and peanuts bringing the crunch factor, my absolute favorite,

CHILLI BBQ PANEER IN PAV - Soft buttery Pav with Barbecued Paneer chunks and spicy gravy with loads of peanuts, another winner, filling and delicious but not heavy, in fact 2 of these and even a hungry hippo like me is happy :)

MINI SEA SALT DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE - Decadent Mousse with crumbles on top, enough said :D

From Baesic Lite, this is all the awesomeness that I got for review and loved to the core-

ROASTED BELL PEPPER JAM - Tried something like this for the first time in my life, can't wait to try more again, had a tangy base with little sweetness too, went well with chips and later, with bread :D

ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS - Smooth and not overpoweringly garlicky, just the way we love, fresh and tasty,

MISO ONION DIP- If you are a hardcore onion flavor fan, this is your thing. I have never tried this kind of strong onion flavored anything, it is naturally sweet and goes well with any dip or sandwich,

CLASSIC COLD BREW- Strongest brew I have ever tasted, I am not a big coffee fan, but my sister is and she LOVED it,

LAVASH- The ultimate accompaniment for the hummus and jam, not unnecessarily salty, just right, felt light,

ALMOND COOKIES- Light and delicious, not unnecessarily sweet and not bland either, perfectly crispy and just right for evening snacking time!

Needless to say, everything I have tried from Baesic as well as Baesic Lite is worth reordering and this hungry hippo gives a big thumbs up to both :)

Karwari Food Festival | Solitaire Restaurant Hotel Kohinoor Continental | Best Food Festival Destination | Food Review

Anybody making a list of best buffet dining destinations or food festival destinations in Mumbai, make Solitaire Restaurant at Kohinoor Continental your top pick right away. Delicious food, very value for money price point, elegant calm ambiance, excellent staff and superb service-pick your reason to visit Solitaire and just do it :)

I have been here for multiple food festivals over the years and not once have they disappointed me or my family. Have loved the Thai Food Festival, the Maharashtrian Food Festival, and now the Karwari Food Festival that is going on right now till 17th of November 2019. There aren't 500 items in the buffet, but more than enough for anybody to feast like royalty.

They have brought the perfect home-cooked feel, everything tastes like prepared by a loving grandma, so this is the right place to say goodbye to oil-laden food that is the usual trademark of typical 'restaurant food'. And the walk till Solitaire is also adorned with ambiance-enhancing decorations, nice touch :) For me, the main draw was that Karwari food, from the coastal Karnataka region, that is mainly seafood based, also had many options for a hardcore vegetarian like me. Ingredients like coconut, hand-pounded spices, tamarind, potatoes have been used generously and I cannot emphasize this enough-nothing has been doused in ghee or oil to make it tasty, rather the real taste of real ingredients shines through in every preparation. This is the best differentiating factor here that even my mother loved a lot.

Started off with PANAK, the most refreshing drink hands down, with Jaggery, Lemon, Ginger, Black Pepper together, how can this not be magical :) Alongside there was also SOL KADI and BUTTERMILK but I ended up having 3 rounds of Panak and would have had more if a delicious spread of food did not beckon me :D

The starters and salads section was hands down my favorite with plethora of bites in crunchy and healthy avatars, including-

BEETROOT KISMOR- Tangy-Spicy medley of Beetroots, Peanuts, Onions and just a dash of homemade masala,

TOUSHE MULYAR- Cooling preparation with Cucumber, Dahi, Coconut,

ASSORTED PAPAD- Do not miss the Shankh shaped papads!

ASSORTED KAAP- Basically fritters but baked, not fried, thin slices of Potatoes, Bananas, Brinjals and Yams. Sound humble but wait till you taste them, the delicious crumby coating will force you to go back for seconds.

DAL VADE- THE BOMB! I lost count of how many of these I had. Looked like the simple tikki we have but I haven't had a more balanced mix of spices, onions, daal in a tikki version EVER. I kid you not, I am salivating just thinking about it even now.
KHOTTE- Idli steamed in Jackfruit leaves, try it for the earthy other-worldly flavor not found in any food nowadays :)

For main course, we noshed on another set of down-to-earth dishes found in Karwari households. Think veggies with coconut, curries with mix of tamarind and chillies with capsicum and raw mangoes, bhakris made of healthy ingredients such as jowar way before quinoa and kale became fashionable! We had and loved-

KAIRI UDIT METHI- Raw Mango + Karela in red curry, a bite of bitter with a lot of tanginess,
BATATA TALASINI- Simple Potato Bhaaji with Mustard, 

CHANA SURANA GASSI- Bengal Gram and Yam in a hearty thick curry with coconut and hint of tamarind,

PUGHE MIRSANG ROSE- Capsicum and Potatoes in wholesome coconut curry,

BHINDI SUKKE- Ladies fingers frolicking in a paste of coconut with loving masalas,

DAL made just like mom makes at home, no butter, no ghee, no flashy tadka, just plain happiness,

JOWAR and RICE BHAKRI, AMBE-MOHAR RICE that went as well with all the curries as the jodi of Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet,

The Home-made pickles were a great hit with mom in this section too.

And then we had to save some space for dessert too, a limited but nonetheless delicious selection of authentic Karwari delicacies enticed us. We had-

FRUITS such as pineapple, kiwi, watermelons, papaya,

MOONG DAAL PAYAS,a lightly-sweetened moong daal porridge, can be had even by those who do not like sugar,

SUKRUNDE, looks like pakode but tastes like Puran Poli, with the same stuffing inside the outer gram flour covering, a dollop of ghee will make it even better,

PATOLI, my mom is from Orissa and she tells me there they call this Pittha, rice batter stuffed with coconut and jaggery and then steamed in turmeric leaves, MUST-HAVE, simple but heavenly,

And the most delicious dessert ever-GADBAD ICE CREAM, a rage in Karnataka, mix of Vanilla, Strawberry, Mango ice creams with wafer chips, chocolate straws, chocolate chips, tutti-frutti nuggets, jellies, sprinkles..basically just let yourself be a 5 year old kid again and enjoy a trillion calories in a glass :D

Seriously, what else is the definition of good life? :)