Lighten Dark Hair With Jolen Gold Crème Bleach

Remember hearing about and using a unique formulation called as CRÈME BLEACH for the first time?? I really do....
The product was first formulated at Jolen Inc by Mrs. Evelyn Kossak along with her husband Mr. John Kossak that became one of the most popular skin care product with women worldwide.

I honestly never bothered to check what all products Jolen retails beyond bleach and hair remover crèmes. But one thing was obvious that Jolen's is the No. 1 crème bleach in the world when it comes to product uniqueness and quality. Being the largest manufacturer of bleach, Jolen was and is a household name and an undisputed choice of customers globally.

Dealing with unwanted dark hair on your face or body can be daunting. Jolen offers the quick, safe & gentle solution to blend hair with your natural skin tone, making it virtually invisible.

Though I use bleach only occasionally, but stock atleast one pack for immediate application. Jolen has got a few variants of bleach like Aloevera Mild Bleach, Gold Creme Bleach and Oxy Bleach. I decided to try Gold Creme Bleach since it is suitable for all skin types and also claims to have real gold particles extracted from pure Gold dust ;)

This pack contains a cream, activator, mixing cup and a tiny spatula that enable to apply the bleach on face and other body parts easily and effectively.

The cream comes in a plastic tub, while the activator comes in a tall cylindrical jar. 

I mixed the quantity in the nixing cup as per suggested measurement on the packaging and did a preliminary patch test behind my ear to test its reaction to my skin. After the product passed this test and didn't cause any allergic reaction, I smeared a thin layer of product preparation on my entire face and neck. I intentionally didn't go for bleaching only specific part of my face like upper lip, because it looks weird after the change of hair color. Though I barely have any visible dark hair on my face, but everyone has those ingrown facial hair; hence it came the decision of using this bleach.

The bleach gives tingling sensation to skin for a minute of so and also stings in eyes which is bearable. Also it's customary with almost every product in this line, so I didn't fret. The bleach doesn't smell pungent, and it's a plus for everyone who hate sharp smell.

Leaving the cream on skin for less than 10 minutes turned the color of my facial hair into something matching to my skin tone. The tanning on the temples of my forehead got much faded in the first use itself. It didn't feel stretchy after wiping the product off my skin. But I still gave a boost of light moisturization. I simply loved the glow on my face that the product imparted instantly. 

I used almost one-third quantity in one use and I expect I can use the remaining quantity two times more (if used on face). I'm totally satisfied with the result.

Ingredients: (refer image below)

The Jolen Gold Bleach is priced at Rs 85 only for 35ml which super affordable. The shelf life is also long enough i.e. 2 yrs.

Here's a great deal on Jolen Gold Bleach. You get a papaya face pack worth Rs 45 with it. That simply cuts down the cost of bleach pack to almost half the price.

Jolen products are easily available at local stores and on online portals. I would recommend to use it at the comfort of your home for a party-ready face instead to rushing to a salon for the services.

Revive Your Dull Skin To Radiance ft. Fuschia Serums

You can wear as many layers of makeup that can turn your tired skin into gorgeously fresh looking, but the fact is it's still not healthy from inside. Serums are the new striking beauty/skincare products in market these days that are the supplements for your skin needs and should be used as a part of balanced skin care regimen. I've used a few under different brands and today's post features the ones available at Fuschia. 

To make it more appropriate, let's start by knowing that serums are comparatively fast-absorbing than a cream, lotion or oil and penetrate deeper into your skin to provide vital nutrients to skin. Usually, there are different formulas used for age-defying, glow-enhancement, hydrate skin or cure puffiness under eyes.

I've tried three serums from Fuschia range i.e. Anti-Blemish Serum, Ageless Serum, Under Eye Serum. 

The packaging is really cool. It's a transparent pump dispenser, quite convenient to ooze out the product and cute to look at. The pump works seamless and has got a covering cap over its top. The pump nozzle remains covered to avoid coming in contact with dust etc and also prevents leakage. You will get to read the ingredients list and every important information on the label.

Each of the serums are priced at Rs 1250 which is high on price point, but currently being sold at Rs 850.

Under Eye Serum is a clear gel with dull scent to it. It's ingredient list is quite impressive containing cucumber extract, green tea extract and green coffee beans extract along with aloe vera, olive oil, glycerin and Vitamin E. I use this serum twice a day - once in the morning as well as before going the bed in the night. The antioxidant rich product is ideal to work on puffiness that you might experience as you get up in the morning. The delicate eye area feels hydrated and firm instantly, but won't dramatically reduce dark circles unless prolonged usage.

Anti-Blemish serum is quick-action formula to refresh your skin and give a temporary suppleness. A light-textured, pale peachy product is enriched with Mulberry extract, Saffron extract,along with aloe vera, olive oil, glycerin and Vitamin E. It has nice sweet aroma which reminds me of some tasty dessert ;) Lightly patting the serum on skin is enough for its absorption to achieve intensely nourished skin. After a use of almost two week, I could see little difference in skin appearance, which is a sign of positive result in coming weeks. The skin elasticity has certainly improved and I'm sure it's doing more good deep inside.

 

Ageless serum is similar to Anti-Blemish serum in texture and consistency, only the shade is ivory. It smells of rose water and feels cool. Other ingredients include Thermus Thermophilus extract that prevents wrinkles & dark spots. Aloe Vera moisturizes dehydrated and itchy skin for immediate relief. Any of these serums is just fine while preparing your skin for makeup in the morning.

All of these serums are water based and so, should be applied under any other product. It'll allow the serums to be rapidly absorbed by the skin. Those with extra dry skin may feel that water based serums are not sufficiently moisturizing for them, but these are generously hydrating. I have added these to my morning+night routine after which I may/may not layer up with desired moisturizer.

There are few other serums at Fuschia that you may be looking for addressing your specific concern. Simply know the ingredients that may work for you and adapt the product for a smooth, youthful, tightened, brightened and plump skin.

Jolen Pure Refreshing & Cleansing 2 in 1 Shampoo Review

I've been using this new Pure Refreshing and Cleansing shampoo from Jolen since past few weeks and am ready to give my opinion on it today.

Jolen Pure Refreshing & Cleansing Shampoo comes in traditional plastic bottle with a flip-open cap. Taking out the product is all easy and non-messy. The bottle has got the information like ingredient list, price, quantity, usage instruction printed on its back side.

It's a 350 ml packaging with a long shelf life of 3 yrs and is available at quite pocket friendly price of Rs. 185. The bottle is big enough to adjust in your travel pouch. I don't think the brand offers a small packaging for this product.

The shampoo is ivory white in colour and has some shine to it. It's neither extremely thick nor runny. I would call it moderately thick and as viscose as I like my shampoo. It has really refreshing fragrance to it and not bothersome at all. This nice smell last in your hands and hair after rinsing off.

For my waist-long hair, I use little more than a coin sized amount of shampoo, dilute it in a cup of water and then massage it on my wet scalp and hair. The shampoo lathers rich and creamy. Despite shampooing on oiled hair, it doesn't take much quantity to cleanse everyday dirt build-up off my hair. The only con about the shampoo is the inclusion of SLS and SLES in the composition which could have been avoided :/ For this reason, I won't recommend using the shampoo on daily basis. Since I rarely use hair styling sprays, gels or creams, I only shampoo my hair twice a week which is safe enough. To check the claims of Jolen shampoo of having in-built conditioning, I skipped using conditioner separately post rinsing off and I didn't feel much requirement of moisturizing my hair.

The shampoo hasn't caused me issues like scratchy scalp, dryness of strands or hair fall. I find the shampoo good to keep my hair clean and smelling fresh.

Sun Defense Range from VLCC

VLCC had rolled out a high quality sun care range after extensive technical research that is claimed to be paraben free. It is said to leave no white layer on the skin, while ensuring that the skin is nourished and protected. There are many products in the sun care range of VLCC including sunscreens, face wash and face pack etc that are aimed to provide ultimate sun protection and are packed with unique benefits of respective ingredients. I was sent a few of these to try and this is what I've to share...

The Neem facewash is boosted by Chamomile and Tea Tree as supporting ingredients. It has gel-like texture and consistency. I find its fragrance quite refreshing and not disturbing. It's a great choice for acne-prone skin, but since I'm blessed with clear skin without any pimples, I cannot comment on how effectively it works. My husband who has combination skin, found this facewash suitable during summer days to reduce oiliness of T-zone. When I wash my face with it, I need to feed my dry skin with moisturizer else it stretches. Owing to its herbal ingredients, it's soothing on skin and also easy to carry around. 

Buy at Rs. 49 for 50ml 

The continuously sun-exposed skin is destined to get tanned and patchy. To prevent the skin from darkening, the VLCC Sun Block lotion with SPF 40 is highly recommended. It's enriched with Comfrey plant extract that is a potential herb to heal skin of minor issues. The sunblock smells good and takes a moment to sink in skin. But once it does, it doesn't sweat afterwards. The main reason to like this is the SPF content which is extremely desired by people in hot regions like ours. Priced at Rs 115 for 30 ml

I know summer outing and holidays are fun. No doubt that skin care takes a back seat when we're making moments outdoors hanging out at the pool or the beach. If the skin is exposed to sun and is showing signs of dullness or darkness, VLCC Clear Tan face pack can be opted to get rid of sun tan. The cucumber extract is well known for skin lightening. The pack is in cream form and spreads easily. It's quick to dry up and has to rinsed off. After every use, it reduces the effect of tan from skin and skin looks brighter. Priced at Rs. 110 or 30 ml. These tiny packs are suitable to carry while traveling. 

Another variant of Sun Block is enriched with goodness of Sandalwood. It's a light textured white cream in thin consistency. Its' easy to apply evenly without extra massaging. I remember myself using sandalwood pack during my young days and I trust its efficacy in minimizing darkness of skin arising out of excessive sun exposure. But if the low SPF 20 in the product bothers you, reapplication is the key. All other aspects of a good sunblock are in line with good quality. 

Have you tried any of these products? Which is your favourite?

Benefits of Aroma Essentials Rice Tulsi Soap

Recently I received a handmade soap from Aroma Essentials in unique combination of Tulsi and Rice with some other ingredients like Mint, Clay Kaolin, Ricebran oil, Sunflower Oil and Almond Oil. Those who have slightest of idea of the properties of these ingredients must have understood already that it's a great moisturizing soap bar.

This one is mildly scented soap bar, smelling quite close to natural fragrance of mint + tulsi. So will appeal those who avoid piercing aromas. The ivory blue colored soap with a hint of rust in-between, perfectly denotes ocean waves :) The sleek soap is opaque in look and produces creamy lather to make your skin feel refreshed. It's easy to rinse off without leaving any sticky feel behind. All this attributes to highest-quality ingredients used by AE to make products from scratch.

So here is how you get benefited by using this soap-

• The people who have dry skin that gets flaky during extreme weather conditions can bathe with this soap bar to boost the moisturizing level of the skin while cleaning it. 
• The rice content  in the soap helps trigger melanin synthesis which leads to skin lightening and is a good source of natural antioxidants (though I barely expect changing of skin tone).
• Presence of natural herbs and oils help to pacify minor skin issues.
• The soap not only purifies the skin from within the anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of the ingredients work to keep skin free from acne, breakouts.
• Mint is a rich source of Vitamin A and C. It kills germs and bacteria from the skin surface, and tackles suntan too.

With a clean fresh feel and light cooling sensation on skin, this soap is sure to bring multiple benefits that you didn't expect.

Jolen Sun Shield Crème SPF-50 Review

Yes! I know how badly we are sweating in the hotter regions of India. Most people would know and follow routines and diets to balance hydration of the body and skin. And then comes a burning question, how to save our skin from the havoc created by harsh sun rays. I personally check quite carefully whether the sun shield creme that I'm using lives up to its SPF claim, else the harmful UVA and UVB rays will damage+darken + age the skin much faster than normal.

I've been testing a few sun shield cremes off late and got a great recommendation for my readers today i.e. Jolen Sun Shield Crème. That's my first review for Jolen which is almost 57 years old reputed brand providing beauty solutions universally.

The brand offers sun shield creme in 3 variants that are similar in ingredients, packaging etc but varies in SPF content. The available options are SPF 20, 30 and 50. Obviously I chose to pick highest SPF 50. It's a bright orange n white colored squeeze tube housed in a even brighter orange cardboard box. It's light-weight and tightly-lockable tube making it an ideal on-the-go product. 

The product is a moderately thick white colored creme that is convenient to spread and blend onto skin. It has soft fragrance that will please everyone. It neither look greasy nor feels stretchy. It didn't make me look cakey or washed out like usual powdery products may do. Expect just the appropriate post-application feel and look with highest sun protection for Indian weather. The moisturizing property of Vitamin E suits all skin types, especially for people with dry skin. Though I don't sweat a lot, but applying sunscreens make me sweat. Jolen's Sun Shield made me feel comfortable without any such problem and I liked it more for this reason.

The pros of the product also include ingredients like antiseptic turmeric that can improve your skin tone in long run and prevents minor skin issues too.

This sun-shield is price effective for the quantity it offers. A little quantity spreads to give wide coverage and so the quantity is enough to last long. Do check out for more details and to order 50 ml pack at Rs 150 here

Quench Your Skin's Thirst With Aroma Essentials Body Sorbets

I've been a sucker of moisturizers, lotions, body butters and bath oils since forever. You ask why? Simply because my skin type is such that it can accommodate as much moisture as I pour over it. Gone are the days when I used to stick to traditional mustard oil for its emollient properties. Now I've experienced a number of quality products that offer better miniaturization without being oily. A cool and calming range of 'body sorbets' is my skin's new companion that I received from Aroma Essentials.

Those who are wondering what a body sorbet is, it is a lightly textured formula that instantly melts into the skin and moisturizes the body. I tried Aroma Essentials Sorbets in five variants in following unique scents -

The sorbets are infused with 100% organic Aloe Vera. The additional ingredients in the sorbets supplies nutrients to skin that can address your skin additional concerns. All the sorbets are richly moisturizing and indulgently fragrant. Simply applying a light layer of sorbets makes you feel closely wrapped up in the authentic aroma of natural ingredients used in the formula. The sorbets are quick to sink in the skin and leave your skin feeling silky-smooth. The sorbet's lubrication doesn't stays as long as a body butter or a cream, but nicely softens the skin when applied to pre-dampened skin for a quick moisturization. If you have dry skin type, it'll help to prevent further loss of moisture by creating a barrier. You can apply the sorbets not only on body parts including hands, elbows, legs and feet, but on face as well. There is no stickiness or oily sheen left behind. Each of the sorbets is almost identical in its texture, rigidity and absorbency despite specialized ingredients. 

Lemon Ylang Geranium

Orange Grapefruit

Sandalwood Lavender

 Jasmine Mogra

 Rose Geranium

Using these sorbets not only improves the skin texture topically, but are also believed to heal and balance the 'body chakras' which are the energy centers of our body. You may question whether these chakras actually exist, but can find its mention in ancient Ayurvedic and Aromatherapy concepts. Each of the chakras is directly associated to a specific part and nerve center of our body. When any of the chakras gets unbalanced due to negative energy flowing through it, it disturbs its spinning rate resulting in affecting a part of the body as well as our spiritual and emotional balance.

I'm only recommending to give yourself a gentle dose of body sorbet massage to reap the benefits of aromatherapy and bring your mind, body and spirit balance back.

Win Summer Special Skincare Kit - 3 Winners (Closed)

Hi All

As we all know summer brings a lot of skin problems along with it. One of the major problems which people face is Fungal Infection. So Ethinext Pharma has initiated #FightAgainstFungi campaign that aims at spreading awareness on how to prevent fungal infection and how to get rid of it.The brand has come forward by creating a video as an instruction guide for the patients of fungal infection and is paying back to society by donating Rs. 2/- against each unit sale of any anti-fungal product of Ethinext Pharma in association with Pratham Council for Vulnerable Children. 

This contest is also being organized to get support from my readers for this noble cause. You can play the contest on ANY ONE or ALL of the platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

For Facebook:

Follow Alive n Kicking and Ethicare Remedies. Share the giveaway post (public) on your timeline with hashtags #FightAgainstFungi and #Aliveandkicking & tag your friends.

For Twitter:

Follow artisanme79 and Ethicare Remedies. Retweet the giveaway post (public) with hashtags #FightAgainstFungi and #Aliveandkicking & tag your friends.

For Instagram:

Follow shilpabindlish and Ethicare Remedies on Instagram. Repost the giveaway post (public) with hashtags #FightAgainstFungi and #Aliveandkicking & tag your friends.

For brownie points:

Share this yourtube video on any of the platform with hashtags #FightAgainstFungi and #Aliveandkicking

Prize:

3 most active winners will be selected randomly (one on each platform) and they will receive a summer special skincare kit including the products-

UVmed Sunscreen

Ospis Soap 

Sweatnil

Sebogel

Leave a comment on this post mentioning "participated on FB/Twitter/IG".

Giveaway will remain open for a week from 04 June to 11 June and is valid for Indian residents. The prize kits will be dispatched by the sponsor brand and I won't be held responsible for any loss/damage in transit.

Winners Update (13.06.2017)
Facebook: Hema Labaniya
Twitter: Rameshwari Bansod
Instagram: Nidhi Narang

The winners are requested to send me their complete postal details with contact number via DM to claim your prize.