Winners for #TripleDiwaliDhamaka giveaway

Hey everyone

Thank you so much for the fanatical zeal to participate in our #TripleDiwaliDhamaka giveaway. Due to some unavoidable reasons, the winner announcement got so late and we really apologize for the same.

But that should not dull your mood as we are finally here with the lucky winners names :)

Drum rolls for the lucky ladies .... 

1. Niharika Seth

2. Kashifah Shaikh

3. Ankita Chaudhary

The winners have been chosen from the qualified entries on the basis on consistent and unwavering participation over social media platforms and blogs. 

So ladies, we understand your curiosity to know what you've won for yourself, so refer the image below to find who gets which of three lovely gift hampers, 

The winners are requested to DM their complete postal addresses including zip code and phone number to the concerned FB page where they have won. All of us will try to dispatch the prizes as soon as possible. 

Once again, a big thanks to all the participants and my lovely friends Jhilmil from Beauty & Beyond and Khushboo from Munni of All Trades for teaming up with Alive n Kicking for this wonderful collaboration giveaway.. 

Keep watching this space for next contest announcement very soon.

Best Buddies and Best Brands Make Up The Best Celebrations

"The night we partied until dawn was the best time I had in my life." 

I say this to my gang of buddies every time we have a celebration together. Call me freakish, but I’m not the one who waits for an occasion to hang out with friends, just a bite from party bug and the fun is on... While I declare my undying love for my friends, isn't this feeling worth celebrating :) 

For my gang, we either fall for a delectable menu and some fine textured drinks served at a tranquil place at times, or just like to make some noise on the dance floor. Either way, we raise the toast to such get-togethers to relax, forget work and have a good time with fun-loving friends. 

And hey! Just like the company of great friends makes a celebration all memoirs, it's a matter of ultimate pleasure to celebrate with some of the best brands of sparkling drinks that sit pretty in the extensive collection of your favourite outlet bar to make your party even more perfect. 

If asked for my opinion, I totally go by the saying, "With every celebration there goes a drink, but not all the drinks go with the every celebration."

Lately, we've been really choosy for the desired party venue. You ask why? For the comforting ambiance, amenities offered and of course for the right vibes. And ultimately this gleeful gang of ours has narrowed down our choices to the Lava Bar at The Taj, Chandigarh. 

The place is so inviting when it comes to throwing a party that lifts even the dullest mood. As you celebrate together with iconic brands that you always wish to be on your party table, are all stacked so gracefully that instantaneously pick up on those vibes. Absolut, being the ruler of my taste is simply heart-stopping good. 

Hence proved, while breaking the rules and having fun celebrations with your friends, the bubbles and popping corks are a must to sound like a perfectly enjoyable party. And I bet you are never truly over with the best celebrations life can extend to you ever. #CantWaitToCelebrate.

So three cheers for all party animals that celebrate 'life' together!!

Hydrate Your Tired Skin With Lavender Mask ft. Aroma Essentials

I've been living under extreme work pressure since many days and it's not going to end for one more month. This daily stress and other environmental issues leave my skin sickly-looking & washed-out. To combat the tiredness of my skin, I've started using Lavender Mask because Lavender oil counteracts various skin disorders.

The Lavender Mask that I'm trying these days is sent to me by one of the most authentic herbal brand Aroma Essentials and I totally trust the indulgent ingredients used in its products. So had high hopes with this product as well.

The mask has jelly-like (not gel-like) appearance and is thick in viscosity. If you tilt the tiny tub containing the product, it won't spill. The light-green colour and soothing aroma are quite refreshing to my senses. The application of mask is quite easy involving no mixing or diluting. Just spreading a thin layer of mask on face for 10 mins and wiping it off with wet tissue. This is the reason that I'm using it every alternate day usually in the afternoon during my lunch break at work because by that time my skin starts showing signs of fatigue.

The mask gives mild cooling sensation while on skin and calms inflamed skin. The skin feels de-stressed, hydrated and looks glowing for next an hour or two. The only con that I find with the product is that the radiance on the skin is quite short-lived, otherwise there is no arguement about benefits of Lavender for skin.

Other than Lavender oil, the mask is infused with Chamomile flower oil and aloe gel. Chamomile possesses effective characteristics to heal wounds, burns and scars on the skin. A prolonged use of the mask can render numerous benefits for all types of skin and enhance the appearance of otherwise sallow skin. 

Being cruelty-free, chemical-free, artificial-fragrance free and dermatologically tested are added pluses for the product. So your search for a natural skin-healer ends here. The lavender mask is available at Rs. 300 for 35 gm. 

Pamper Your Skin With AHA Skin Polishing ft. Aroma Essentials

While your mind is keeping you more than occupied, don't forget to take care of your skin. If you are trapped in similar situation like I'm, don't panic to find your skin misbehaving in this changing weather; simply catch up on your favourite skin care products and indulge into some self-pampering time.

I confess that I've been really careless for my skin since last one month or so, and of course the effect can be seen on different parts of my body. To rescue my skin from more damage, I took a skin exfoliating treatment at home using Aha Sugar Polish sent by Aroma Essentials.

Skin Polishing is an exfoliation treatment much like scrubbing, but the purpose varies. While the scrubs are meant to clean the outer layer of the skin by removing dead skin cells, dirt and oil; the skin polishing targets moisturizing n smoothening the skin by exfoliating the already cleansed skin and bring the radiance out.

The Aha Sugar Polish as the name suggests uses Brown Sugar as the base ingredient which is really gentle on skin. The other ingredients include Tamarind Powder, Jaggery, Lavender Buds Powder, Sugar Powder, Walnut Powder Apricot Oil, Castile Soap. I can confidently say that I've found the most indulgent natural ingredients in the AE products and using these products add to my knowledge too ;)

Aha Sugar Polish is a thick, brown colored, abrasive product with heavenly fragrance. The product is to be used during the shower on the wet skin, left on skin for 10 minutes and then rub gently before rinsing off. 

This grainy mixture of skin-sloughing ingredients instantly rid your skin off dry, flaking skin on rough areas of body like elbow joints and knuckles. But be gentle with your rubbing strokes as the ingredients in the product do not dissolve cent-percent and may leave marks on skin if you are aggressive. There is visible improvement on my back skin after using it twice. A moisturised layer of fresh, clean and smooth skin is all what I wanted and achieved. The only thing I wish is to add some more essential oils in the product for extra dry skin so that a body lotion can be completely skipped post shower. For making my experience more productive, I recreated the sugar polish by adding few drops of sweet almond oil and enjoyed really soft and silky skin packed with little more moisture.

If you are using it on delicate skin of your face, limit the use twice a month only. The sugar polish is suitable to almost all skin types including sensitive skin and doesn't break out. The aroma of the product stays for some time after washing your skin off and the ingredients used in it keep on relaxing and stimulating your senses. 

The 100 gm packaging of the sugar polish is priced at Rs 650/-

So next time, when it's the time for a hot shower, don't forget to carry Aha Sugar Polish along and come out with glowing skin.

Change Your Diet, Change Your Life With Raw Pressery Juices

Preparing uniquely refreshing juices at home from variety of fruits might be quite customary for most households like mine, because we all typically believe that freshly extracted juices have higher nutritional value than packed juices. 

But today, I'm putting an end to this widely held belief by establishing the fact that the juicers or blenders we use at home generate heat due to high-speed rotating blade that causes oxidation and destroys vital nutrients in the juices. A healthier alternative is to opt for 'Cold Pressed' juices which are made with a hydraulic press to extract the maximum amount of liquid from fresh fruits and vegetables.

Now, if you're wondering where to avail cold presses juices from? The answer lies here at             Raw Pressery. 

Raw Pressery is an innovative venture by Mr. Anuj to promote "All Good No Bad" message by delivering cold-pressed juices and cleanses everyday at major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune. 

When Raw Pressery started delivering at Chandigarh, I couldn't counter my temptation to try some flavours and I was sent one of their popular Raw Bundles called Metabolize by the brand for tasting and testing.

This juice combo is a carefully put together pack of 4 variants named as Glow, Shield, Flush, 100% Pineapple and Ginger in food grade plastic bottles of 250 ml each.

Unlike the Cleanse plans offered by the brand, the Raw Bundle that I received, is not meant to be drunk in any specific order which was a great relief to me. Because its pretty difficult for me to spare even a few minutes for snacking etc. during my working hours. So I drank all these juices at comfort of my home after returning from work.

Glow, a clear looking, superior blend of Cucumber, Coconut Water, Pineapple, Lemongrass, Aloe Vera and Lemon. Loaded with energy, it's great to obtain healthy skin and keep the body cool n properly hydrated. 

Shield, a bright orange colour juice having Tangerine, Carrot and Ginger with thicker consistency. The pulp in the beverage resembles exactly like freshly extracted orange juice and leaves you feel really full as you consume the entire content of the bottle. The presence of Vitamin C helps battle common cold, signs of ageing and allergies.

Flush, the most beautiful looking beverage containing Apple, Beet, Carrot, Ginger and Lemon. The juice owes its colour from beet that goes into the formula. This one is best for people who complaint of high blood pressure as the juice will lowers the blood pressure while purifying the blood and supplying Vitamin A to the body.

100% Pineapple and Ginger, is a sunny yellow colour juice that rich in potassium and vitamin C. But don't expect the taste to be as sweet as usual pineapple juice.

Talking about the flavour of juices, none of the juices taste sweet despite sweet ingredients used in some of them. The aroma and flavours are bit strong and tangy for my taste. I would have loved them more if a healthy alternate of artificial sugar might have been added to sweeten the beverages. But I like the mixing of ginger in most recipes which adds to the health benefits of the juices for its anti-inflammatory, immune boosting properties. As far as the taste is concerned, one can always go slow initially and develop a liking after some time like it happened with me :)

Are Raw Pressery juices genuinely incredible?

Yes! they are. And here I tell you why...

• When most juices generally mean fruit extracts, Raw Pressery juices contain fruits as well as veggies. 
• No use of chemicals, preservatives, artificial colours or added sugar; only freshest and finest quality fruits and veggies sourced directly from local farms (and nothing else).
• If you expect it's plain, watery thin liquid bottled for you to drink, you fail miserably. 'Coz you'll love the mouthful of pulp in every sip.
• There is wide array of choices to subscribe for a delivery plan depending on your requirement like Detox Cleanse, Raw Bundles, Multi Serve packs etc. Each of these will contribute towards your well-being by improving your diet plan.
• One can customize the selection of juices in his subscription plan (only) if certain flavour is not liked. 
• These juices are apt to replace a healthy meal in case you are short of time or not eating due to unavailability of proper food. Not only the adults, but kids will also enjoy these healthy beverages as a 'super food'.
• The nutritional chart is printed on every bottle with details of all your calorie and other nutrition intake from particular variant.
• The bottles used for packaging of juices are food grade PET, 100% BPA free and completely recyclable. The company supports green revolution by arranging collection of the empty bottles from your place as a part of their recycling drive which is worth an applause. 

Overall, a strong recommendation for everyone to introduce yourself to these nectar-like beverages to sooth the internal system of your body and improve the quality of your living.

Best Natural Shampoos For All Hair Types

Surround yourself with all things good! And if that’s not possible for you at the moment, at least decide to switch to a natural hair cleanser that is free from SLS, sulfate and other chemicals because the store-bought commercial shampoos claiming to be the best in hair care are one of the most unsafe products that degrade the health of our scalp and tresses.

From past few weeks, I have been washing our hair with Aroma Essentials shampoos that are made of finest natural ingredients. The brand sent the shampoos to me in two variants i.e. Onion and Banana. I'm using a shampoo made of these ingredients for the first time from any brand so far.

Having Onion as the key ingredient of a shampoo first received some frowns from my family members, but after a thorough discussion that it's a composition of onion pulp and shea butter with olive and mustard seed oils, everyone showed excitement to experiment with the product. The onion shampoo is a relatively thin consistency cleanser in off-white colour. It lathers decently, but not very rich. So for my long hair, I would need extra quantity to be used for properly cleaning my hair and scalp. It is free of any artificial fragrance. It has a unique fragrance that I'm unable to define exactly, but it is not that strong disgusting onion smell that you would dislike to have in your hair. To reiterate the benefits of onion, it has rich sulfur content and improves the blood circulation when applied to the scalp. Onion juice increases the strength of the hair thereby prevents thinning and breakage to great extent. Using an onion shampoo is like using a natural tonic which promotes hair growth and reverses hair loss in long term.

The other variant is again an excellent combination of banana pulp and shea butter with goodness of Pro-Vitamin B5 that is a boon for dry hair specially. Its a sweet smelling shampoo in peach color and of similar consistency like that of onion shampoo. I'm more inclined to this variant for the reason that it addresses dryness of scalp and hair. It is a savior for people battling dry locks and frizz. 

Both the shampoos are mild and can be used on daily basis if required. These are lightweight and rinsed out quite easily leaving hair silky and shiny after removing all the dirt n grime. My hair look and feel equally voluminous after using these shampoos which I appreciate because the hair care products that weigh down my hair are completely No-No ;) The packaging is in small plastic bottles which is travel friendly and are good for those who want to try sampling out the products once for making a final decision. 

The plus points of these shampoos (just like all other Aroma Essential products) are that they involve use of clean and green ingredients sourced out fairly, not tested on animals, don't cause side effects and are skin-friendly. You may even store these shampoos in a refrigerator for a specific season as they have a shelf life of 6 months.

So, if you are looking for all natural hair cleansers with an impression of purity, do give these pure products a try and feel the difference how your hair behave well :)

Nourish & Protect Your hair With Oriflame HairX Restore Therapy Hair Mask

We all have different type of hair texture and depending on its type, we would need to take great care of scalp and hair at different time of the year. If winter is already hard on your hair, show some love to your hair using a hair mask. Those who are rolling their eyes what this hair mask is, it is an excellent way to provide deep hydration to your dry locks and moisturize the scalp as well.

Few weeks ago, the HairX Restore Therapy Hair Mask from Oriflame got its place in my hair product aisle and after every use it's becoming my increasingly preferred product to better the health of my hair.

About HairX:

Every range in the HairX range is based on a unique scientific system combined with carefully selected ingredients to target your specific hair needs.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-20, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Polyquaternium-37, Parfum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Citric Acid, Propylparaben, Linalool, Sodium Citrate, Dipropylene Glycol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, C14-20 Isoalkylamidopropylethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Sodium Benzoate

My experience with the product:

The HairX hair mask is a thick, creamy, nicely smelling concoction in pearl white color. It comes in a sturdy plastic tub with wide mouth and one can easily scoop out desired quantity of the product.

The ease of application is one of the reason that pushed me to try a hair mask. I simply take little quantity of the hair mask onto my palm and massage it lightly on my wet hair towards the ends (avoiding roots) after taking the head bath. It requires a wait of just few minutes to retain the mask onto my hair and then give it a rinse. It seems sticky when you rub it between your palms before applying, but gets vanished the minute you massage it on your hair without leaving any greasy effect on hair or scalp. The hair length feels soft to touch, shinier after the very first use and gets evidently noticeable every time.

The reason what prompted me to try this product was Argan Oil mentioned on its label as the base oil. Argan Oil is an ideal healing agent for boosting the health of dry, brittle, weakened hair. It nourishes your hair with long lasting lubrication effects. I'm generally keeping the mask on my hair for around 5 minutes for its components to work deeper to provide me gratifying results. The frizzy, fly-aways are under control with greatly reduced tangling of my hair. It has diminished hair breakage to some extent which I expect to increase gradually. One thing to mention explicitly here is that I've used it on my colored hair and it has not caused any discoloration kind of effect at all.

Argan Oil is also claimed to act as a protective layer in low temperature. I'm really glad that I started using the HairX mask at the right time of the year, and it will hopefully keep me relaxed from worries of lack-luster hair during harsh winter as well.  

You may order the product at official site of oriflame at Rs. 449 for a 200 ml pack. The Oriflame HairX Restore Therapy Hair Mask is one of the most reliable recommendations in hair treatments that one can give to himself to greatly impact level of moisture in hair. 

This Is What I Did When My Baby Developed a Diaper Rash

Skin rashes are common skin problems for both babies and adults. All of us have experienced itchy rashes at some point of time and got over the problem in a few days. We usually don't find rashes a cause for concern. But last weekend, while visiting my colleague who is a mom to an eight-month old baby, I was horrified to find her baby's bottom badly irritated! And this first-time mommy couldn't realize the seriousness of the issue, considering it 'normal'. She didn't connect it to her baby's non-stop crying. Gosh! I could feel the pain of the little one and it reminded me of the time when my baby had developed a bad diaper rash at a similar age…

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