Bella Vita Organic Growth Protein Conditioning Hair Masque Review | Organic Keratin Hair Mask Spa Cream | Beauty Review | Haircare Review

Looking for a value-for-money hair conditioning spa-at-home product? Who isn't! After all, we are all dealing with myriad issues of hair fall, hair thinning, itchy scalp, dandruff, frizzy hair, dry hair, dehydrated hair etc. etc. In fact, I don't remember meeting a single person in past couple of years who isn't fed up of all these hair-related issues. No matter what the issue, there is a solution. Check out this Bella Vita Organic Growth Protein Conditioning Hair Masque :)

Packaging of Bella Vita Organic Growth Protein Conditioning Hair Masque is in a sturdy plastic tub that seems travel-friendly. 

Ingredients list includes a potent mix of goodies such as Almond Oil, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Brahmi, Bhringraj, Onion Seed Oil, Castor Oil, Neem, Keratin and so on. It is free of harsh detergents as well as paraben and sulphate free.

Claims that this Keratin Hair Spa Cream Mask will nourish and condition hair while promoting hair growth, reducing frizz and battling dandruff.

Availability of Bella Vita Organic Growth Protein Conditioning Hair Masque is very good online on its website as well as on Amazon and the 200 gram tub is available for Rs. 399 only which makes it affordable.

Quantity is 200 grams which is enough to last for 10 washes on my shoulder-length  curly, frizzy hair which is very veryyyyyyyyy dry. I call it value for money.

Usage - Apply on wet hair after shampoo and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off. Easy-peasy. 

Effect - Thanks to my extremely dry, frizzy, dehydrated hair with itchy, dandruff-prone scalp, I have to be always on the lookout for a great conditioning option. I don't use normal conditioners on my hair anymore because my hair needs extra nourishment every single time and most conditioners don't provide long-lasting results. So I keep flitting from one hair mask to another, but most of the time the results don't last for more than 24 hours. 

Anyway, I bought Bella Vita Organic Growth Protein Conditioning Hair Masque from Amazon after hearing about it from many of my friends and beauty bloggers. It is very reasonably priced so I thought that even if it does not work very well, I won't be heart broken. Spoiler alert-This spa cream lets my hair stay frizz-free for nearly 3 days which is an excellent achievement and I am already repurchasing it.

It has a mild herbal fragrance that lingers just for a couple of hours, nothing overwhelming or artificial about it. The texture is very creamy and it spreads nicely on my hair after I shampoo it. I  don't use it on my scalp and use a dedicated anti dandruff shampoo too so can't speak for its efficacy on dandruff. But it does reduce frizz and conditions hair which was my primary motive for buying it. It lets me comb my hair without any tangles in my curly nest. Since my hair is extremely dry and damaged over many years, I am not expecting any overnight miracles but am very impressed with how it conditions my hair and makes it frizz-free.

Thus, I would recommend Bella Vita Organic Keratin Hair Spa Cream to everyone who needs a good spa-at-home-feel within the most affordable price point. It has naturally beneficial ingredients, no harmful chemicals, mild fragrance, creamy dreamy texture and one can even use it for a longer time period for deeper conditioning feel.  

YES 

• Natural beneficial ingredients with mild fragrance

• Solid sturdy packaging

• Leaves my dry, frizzy, dehydrated hair conditioned and frizz-free

• Makes my hair easier to comb and detangles it

• Results last for nearly 3 days on my hair

• Value for money proposition

• Available on Amazon easily

NO 

• No con per se, just don't expect any overnight miracles

Recommended -Yes. Good for my extremely dry, frizzy, dehydrated hair. Rating is 5/5.   

     

Zilch On Cloud 9 Face Wash Jelly Review | Favorite For Healing Skin Moisture Barrier | Beauty Review | Beauty Collaboration

Welcoming my most favorite facewash in recent times to the fold, Zilch On Cloud 9 Face Wash Jelly :) After Himalaya neem face wash and Just Herbs neem-bitter orange face wash, this is the only one I have come to love with all my heart! From the start, the Zilch brand looks outstanding from all the clutter in the market. Their philosophy is admirable too, with promotion of no BS, no drama, plain simple good stuff for skin. Everything, from their packaging to their website follows this philosophy.

Packaging of Zilch On Cloud 9 Face Wash Jelly is in a sturdy plastic body with flip cap that is secure enough for traveling. It is leak-proof, I tested :D

Ingredients list has many tempting ones like aloe vera, rose water, glycerine, lactic acid, and some minimal chemicals necessary for formulating any product. All good, nothing bad, even on my super-sensitive skin.

Claims to be paraben-free, alcohol-free, sulpahte-free, silicon-free and moisturize even after cleaning face without clogging pores.

Availability of Zilch On Cloud 9 Face Wash Jelly is good online on Amazon, and it is available for Rs. 700 for 200 ml which is amazing. 

Quantity of this 200ml facewash jelly is enough to last more than 2 months even when used twice a day since only 2 drops of jelly are enough for my horsey-size face too.

Usage - Like any cleanser. Take a drop of jelly, spread all over the face for 30 seconds, wash off.

Effect - Apart from the past year that was bad for my health and skin, this year too brought its share of problems. The last 2 months I am battling recurrent acne, inflammation, painful pimples, and I had to devise a complete routine to subside it all. It includes Choonkar Neem Oil, Indrani Cosmetics Anti-Acne Gel and this Zilch On Cloud 9 Face Wash Jelly :)

I have tried quite a few face washes in my life and my favorites are Himalaya Neem and Just Herbs Neem-Bitter Orange, and now Zilch. There is a difference between them, the other face washes are a bit drying, and strong, and in case one's moisture barrier is compromised then it is not good to use very strong products. This is exactly what I am battling right now. Going to soon do a post about compromised moisture barrier. However, for now, just know that it is a painful condition especially for someone with sensitive skin from birth, like me.

This is the first time I have used a jelly face wash and realized how much better it is...

-Glides like softest cloud on skin

-Feels cool and soothing

-Leaves skin feeling hydrated somehow

-I love it so much I leave it like a moisturizer on my face for 2-3 minutes before rinsing off and it still does not dry out my skin 

-Is extremely mild yet cleans my face nicely, leaving it plump and supple

But yeah this is not deep cleaning for those who need to remove makeup. I loved using it specifically because my skin is going through a repair mode after succession of acne attack, inflammation, dryness, rosacea..so I am using only the mildest products on my skin and This. Is. The. Bomb. 

It fulfills all its claims completely, so absolutely recommended, especially if your skin is ultra-sensitive and problematic. I will ensure I have this by my side at all times from now on!

YES 

• Fulfills all its claims completely
• Cleans without drying
• Leaves my super-sensitive skin feeling cool, supple, hydrated
• Available on Amazon
• Huge quantity, makes it value-for-money
• Helping my skin in healing from intense acne and inflammation

NO 

• Can be considered as pricey in one glance
• Will not remove stubborn makeup, but does not claim so either

Recommended -YES, a thousand times YESSSSSSS. An absolutely incredible product, use it, your skin will thank you. Rating is 5/5.

Votre Multi Vitamin Rejuvenating Whipped Clay Mask Review | Luxury Vegan Ayurveda | Beauty Review

Votre is a luxury brand I often saw on Nykaa, Amazon, and even tried the much-raved Votre Face Serum some years ago and quite liked it. But since I have very sensitive and problematic skin, I do not prefer to invest in expensive products before trying them out and confirming that they don't give any allergies to me. So it was perfect when I saw Votre Multi Vitamin & Rejuvenating Whipped Clay Mask 30 gms sample on Smytten, I could first try it out and see if it suits me.

Packaging of Votre Multi Vitamin & Rejuvenating Whipped Clay Mask is simple and elegant, a curved little plastic tub with secure lid. Votre has sublime packaging and design.

Ingredients list is full of tempting ones like Avocado, Papaya, Strawberry, Sweet Orange, Pomegranate, White Clay, Fullers Earth. Basically it is similar to a fruit pack with clay.

Claims to provide essential vitamins, hydration to the skin, repair it, keep it smooth and irritation-free.

Availability of Votre Multi Vitamin & Rejuvenating Whipped Clay Mask is easy on all online sites such as Amazon, Nykaa, Smytten, Flipkart and pricing is on luxurious side with 50 gm retailing for around Rs. 800.

Quantity of this 30 gm sample from Smytten was enough for 8 uses on my big face :D

Usage - Take required quantity in spatula or spoon, apply all over face and neck, let it dry or semi-dry and wash off. For cold weather or dry skin, wash after 5-10 minutes and apply moisturizer.

Effect - As I have used many other clay masks, I know many of them can be very drying for skin as clays deep cleanse the skin and take out all the oil from the pores. For very oily skin, it may be a blessing but for dry skin, or combination skin, or dry weather, it can be very drying and may lead to redness, rashes, inflammation too. It can be very severe for sensitive skin. 

That is why when I saw 'whipped clay' I wanted to try it because it gave the impression of being fluffly, creamy, and not drying like normal clay masks. And as per my expectation, it is a creamy-textured mask. I cleansed my face and applied it all over in a thin layer and let it semi-dry. It did not feel stretchy dry at all and left my skin smooth, clean, hydrated when I washed it off. 

The first time I applied it, I let it dry completely because of which I saw little red blotches on my cheeks and then I realized my mistake. Then onwards I only let it semi-dry, never completely dry. And my skin always feels extremely soft, extremely smooth, and extremely bright after I rinse it off. It takes a little bit of effort while rinsing off, but that is true for most clay masks. As per general rule, it is important to always follow up with a good moisturizer. Overall, it is a winning product for me :)

YES 

• Vegan, Natural, Organic, Ayurvedic ingredients
• Leaves skin soft, smooth, hydrated
• Creamy texture, good for skin that does not tolerate normal stretchy clay texture
• Available on Amazon, Nykaa, Smytten etc.

NO 

• Expensive
• If you let it dry completely, super-sensitive skin may get redness or rashes

Recommended -YES. A good face mask with great effect on all skin types. Rating is 4.5/5.

Fuschia Activated Charcoal Detox Face Mask Review | Natural Handmade Skincare | Beauty Review

One of the ingredients making the biggest splash in today's global beauty industry is Charcoal. Everybody is talking about it, everybody is raving about its deep-cleansing and detoxifying properties, every brand is launching charcoal-based beauty and skincare products... I have also used Mamaearth C3 Face Mask and Aroma Magic Charcoal Face Mask and loved both of them. 

So when I saw Fuschia Detox Face Mask Activated Charcoal sample at Smytten, I had to try it, more so because I had no clay or charcoal-based beauty product in quarantine and needed something for deep cleansing.

Packaging of Fuschia Detox Face Mask Activated Charcoal is a typical little plastic tab with a secure lid. It feels pretty travel-friendly and compact.

Ingredients list is goodness personified with Rose Water, Kaolin Clay, Glycerine, Aloe Vera, Bentonite, Charcoal Powder, Clove Oil, Vitamin E.

Claims to deep clean, bring out dirt from pores, tighten pores, and smoothen skin.

Availability of Fuschia Vkare Detox Face Mask Activated Charcoal is easy on all online sites such as Amazon, Nykaa, Smytten, Flipkart and pricing is a bit on expensive side with 100 gm retailing for Rs. 450.

Quantity of this 20 gm sample from Smytten was enough for 5 uses on my big face :D

Usage - Apply like a face mask-it is not written on this sample pack. I am assuming since it is a face mask, it must be applied after cleansing and toning skin :D

Effect - As I have used and loved other charcoal based face masks from Mamaearth and Aroma Magic, I had a good idea for what to expect from this one too. I expected it to stay true to its claims and it completely did :) I slathered a thin layer on damp skin after cleansing with Just Herbs Silksplash or Aroma Magic White Tea & Chamomile Face Wash. Then I let it dry for about 6 minutes and then washed off. It truly deep cleansed pores, not much for pore tightening, but it did leave my skin smooth and bright. 

It is a nice face mask that has some amazing ingredients for deep cleansing skin, keeping it moisturized, brighten it, and they work nicely together. Though very sensitive skin types like me should not use it more than twice a week or it may lead to redness and rashes on cheeks because charcoal, bentonite are very potent ingredients. One thing that I loved-I had a budding pimple on my chin but I used this mask and it instantly reduced the size of the pimple. INSTANTLY!

And it is essential to always follow up with a good moisturizer. This is true of all clay based or charcoal based masks. Overall, it is a winning product for me :)

YES 

• Has some amazing ingredients for deeply cleansing and smoothing skin
• Works on my super-sensitive acne prone skin
• Reduces pimples and breakouts instantly
• Vegan and free of nasty chemicals
• Available on Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart etc.

NO 

• A bit on expensive side
• Super-sensitive skin should not use it very frequently-general advice for all potent ingredients

Recommended -YES. A good charcoal-based face mask for all skin types. Rating is 4.5/5.

Aroma Magic White Tea & Chamomile Face Wash Review | Aromatherapy Skincare Essentials | Everyday Pollution Defence | Beauty Review

Aroma Magic products always seem to be a win for my combination acne prone super-sensitive skin. I have used and loved their-

Microdermabrasion Scrub, 

Charcoal Pack, 

Anti-Pigmentation Glossy Pack, 

Detoxifying Pack, 

Hydrating Seaweed Pack

I saw this Aroma Magic White Tea and Chamomile Face Wash sample at Smytten and guess what, this is the only product I picked up because the packaging looked so pretty :D Well, that, and the fact that I trust Aroma Magic products to be good to my skin. I genuinely feel these products are made with a unique formulation that makes them good for all skin types.

Packaging of Aroma Magic White Tea & Chamomile Face Wash is compact and travel-friendly in a tube with flip-open cap. It is one of the most gorgeously designed packaging with a floral theme :)

Ingredients list is unique like all Aroma Magic products with only good stuff like White Tea, Soy Milk, Protein Beads, Chamomile Essential Oil. It has no alcohol, soap, artificial fragrances, coloring, and no testing on animals either.

Claims to deep clean and lightly exfoliate while keeping skin fresh, relaxed, and also works on preventing aging.

Availability of Aroma Magic Products is very easy on all online sites such as Amazon, Nykaa, Smytten, Flipkart and pricing is very reasonable with the 100 ml sized face wash only around Rs. 150.

Quantity of this 20 ml sample from Smytten was enough for 2 weeks on my horse-sized face. Only a little is needed each time.

Usage - Apply to moist face and neck. Massage and rinse off properly. Follow with moisturizer and sunscreen.

Effect - As I said, I have used and absolutely loved all Aroma Magic products I have used over the years. I completely expected to love this face wash too and it did not disappoint me one bit. It is a light-blue colored gel-textured face wash that lathers nicely without being artificially soapy. It has very few exfoliating beads and I was worried they would scratch my skin but actually they did not. Of course, my skin being extra-sensitive, I used very light hands to massage the face wash into my skin so that the beads did not scratch at all. 

As claimed, it deeply cleansed my pores, and at the same time, did not leave my skin dry like a desert either. In summers, it is perfect for cleansing out all the oil but in winters, like all face washes, it may leave the skin feeling dry. In any case, it is always nice to follow up a face wash with a good moisturizer or gel or facial oil, depending on the skin type. I always do :) 

The only thing is, it claims to work as an anti-aging agent but I am not sure, can a face wash actually do that? Anyway, apart from this little thing, everything else about this face wash is awesome and I shall love to repurchase the full-sized one again and again.

YES 

• Devoid of nasties like parabens, soaps, artificial fragrance etc.
• Amazing fragrance
• Value for money
• Deeply cleanses but does not leave skin dry
• Works nicely on my super-sensitive skin
• Easily available online on Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart etc.

NO 

• Some people may not like exfoliating beads

Recommended -YES. Like all Aroma Magic products, it works amazing on my skin. Rating is 4.5/5.

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