Sick Days - A Little Makeup Pick-Me-Up

So, I've spent the last few days sick and confined to my bed... first it was a cold and a cough, then it just got worse and worse and worse. Today however, I was sick of the coughing and looking like death, so I took matters into my capable hands (shamlessplug).
To start with, I decided to pamper my skin. Yes, I've been hydrating like a mad person over the last few days, but my skin still looked dull and lifeless. The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask came to my rescue. Dabbed a generous amount of this stuff to my face and rinsed it off after 20 minutes and my skin looked SO MUCH better.
After a nice hot shower, I decided to put on some makeup, for the first time this week (It's Friday today, so in my world, big deal). I find that when I'm sick, my eyes get all dull, and thanks to the coughing and the lack of sleep, my undereyes looked a bit like Edward Scissorhands... to fix that I used the MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW 35 to correct the purple undertones, and topped it off with my MAC Prolongwear Concealer in NC 42, pretty much all over the centre of my face... sheered out to the edges to give me that highlighted effect. After quickly setting everything in place.. I decided to finally sort the lifeless zombie face situation with a little blush (fun fact - haven't used blush in a good 3 - 4 months). Instantly, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful bought some much needed life back into my face.
To brighten my eyes, I went for some shadow, but the real star of the show are my Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers that lift up lashes and make me eyes appear larger and brighter and more awake. After some lashings of mascara, I felt entirely human again - until I started coughing... But I look so much better, which makes me feel better.

So there yah go. These are my little pick me ups for days when I'm deathly ill. What are yours?

Facial Oils for Every Occasion

So, I've been having a moment with oils lately.
For some reason until recently, oils have had quite the bad reputation when it comes to skincare. As someone who used to have oily skin, I used to shy away from oils because of the general stigma around "oils are bad for oily skin", which is pure bullshit.
Having said that though, with my now dehydrated skin (that would probably have never gotten to this stage if I had just moisturized or used said oils) which is slowly returning to normal but sensitive and acne prone... oils are a blessing.
To start, I'd like to take a moment and write a tiny little ode to the best kind of oil in my life... The Body Shop Cleansing Oil. I've mentioned this a few times before, but it is now a staple in my daily life and my kit, and let me tell you, there isn't s single person this oil hasn't wow'd. One pump, followed by a gentle massage and a damp cloth or water to was it off... it cleanses your skin like no other, getting every bit of makeup (including waterproof mascara) in the most fuss free manner till date. Priced at INR 1095, it isn't something that breaks the bank, but will change your life. For certain.
The next best thing I've discovered (more recently) is the Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil for Dehydrated skin, which is making my skin better with each passing day. It's a heavy oil that takes sometime to sink into the skin.. and heavily fragranced (so beware of that) but once it sinks in, it can calm the worst of my breakouts without much effort. I use it at night every alternate day or just over a particularly bad blemish more regularly and it has done nothing but wonders to my skin. It costs a bit of a bomb at INR 2450, but I've been using it every alternate day for a while now and it hardly seems to have made a mark on the bottle.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Serum Overnight Serum in Oil is another favorite I've talked about before, but thought I may reiterate my love for. Priced at INR 1695, this oil is seems to work for a lot of skin types (My mother who has normal to oily skin swears by it) and with my dehydrated skin, it works like a dream giving me all the moisture I need. I use this in rotation with my Clarins Oil. It also seems to help my acne scars which is always a win for me.
Finally, the ever famous Bio Oil that claims to do a LOT. I use it on my body especially in areas where I have stretch marks from hitting the gym or losing weight... it hasn't worked miracles, but I can see them slowly lightening... I'm pretty sure I will continue using this at night just because of the smell and the moisture it gives me, even if not for the stretch marks. Bio Oil costs INR 450 (which is good because I go through this stuff like it's going out of style)

So there you have it, my little arsenal of oils that I think work wonders.
(Little disclaimer, like every product - different things work for different people, just keep that in mind)

What are your favorite oils?

The Moisturiser That Ticks All the Boxes

Welcome back to this episode of 'Laya buys into hype - and loves it'. It seems to be a trend on this blog eh? I don't think this is huge with bloggers around the world, but I know most Professional Makeup Artists love this stuff. It only took the Pixiwoo sisters and 2 of my tutors to mention this product in passing before I jumped at the chance to purchase this for my kit and while I was buying it.. ahem, one for myself. *hides head in shame* #sorrynotsorry
The Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate is a moisturiser that can also be used to prime the skin. The company has some grand claims...
"The name Embryolisse is synonymous with fabulous French skincare and Lait-Creme Concentre is the jewel in their crown. Enriched with essential fatty acids and vitamins, this 3-in-1 lotion helps restore harmony where there's imbalance; nourish areas of dryness and protect your complexion from environmental aggressors. Light in texture and quickly absorbed, skin instantly feels plumped, soothed and hydrated while the velvety finish grips your foundation to help you stay"
But do not fear, for I am here to tell how true the above statements are.
To start with, it feels absolutely lovely to use. Be it my skin or someone elses, no one has ever said anything but how amazing this product feels on the skin. You instantly feel hydrated and your skin looks healthy and plump, without looking oily.
It absorbs quickly, but leaves a thin film of moisturised goodness that makes working with any skin (including textured and blemished skin like mine) a pleasure to work with.

On my dehydrated and blemish prone skin, I use two layers of this stuff (which explains the state of the tube) and it actually gives me almost healthy looking skin, with a glow that I cannot achieve with any other moisturiser.
I do prefer using it under my makeup, and something much more concentrated in the nights, but if you have normal or oily/combination skin, I reckon you can get away with using it twice a day.
It is lightly scented, however, it is not something that lingers. But I would keep that in mind if you're someone who doesn't like scented products.

It moisturises, it plumps, it feels great and most importantly soothes my blemishes when they're angry at the world. I can't ask for more in a skincare product.

The only downside? The steep price. GBP 20 (INR 2000 approx) for 75ml, which compared to Clinique is not all that bad, but thats a personal choice. You can get it shipped to India from here.

If you're looking for a new moisturiser that will not disappoint no matter what kind of skin you have, I would highly recommend this!

What do you think?

Dry Skin Saviors.

So as I type this, keep in mind that I have had a few glasses of wine... SO, Stuff that's keeping my going through colder weather (its 10/15 degrees here)

Soap and Glory Hand Food
I never understood the need for handcream until I came here and my skin started peeling (I kid you not) but now I do. So, first of... This hand cream seriously smells amazing. When I use it I feel the need to keep sniffing my hands - which let me be honest here, looks creepy as hell, but I can't help it! Not only does it smell good, it really helps my hands which are super dry and crinkly look almost human (I said almost!).
Its really moisturizing, but at the same time it isn't greasy and for the price (INR 500) I'd buy it repeatedly!

The Body Shop Body Sorbet in Strawberry
I got this back home before I left... because I wanted something light (in weight) but still heavy duty, contradictory I know, but that's me for you... And this suits that brief. When you put it on, its almost like an airy moussey cream that feels like heaven, smells fantastic and still manages to keep those dry parts completely soft and moisturized. Infact, the first time I used it, my flatmate commented on how good it smelled and bought one for herself in Mango (which doesn't smell as strong though, keep in mind).
So, if you're looking for divine moisture that smells like dessert, and has the most unique texture you'd ever try out.. you need this. I mean it. No, really.. go.. go now and try it out!

What are your dry skin favorites?

Skin Savior - Glyco A

As I begin to write this, I have my fingers and toes crossed all while practically hugging wood. You see, my skin has been going through a very very VERY bad few months. I've been breaking out all over the place, and scarring - my cheek at one point looked so covered in pink and red bumps that you may have mistaken my blemishes as chicken pox. I tried everything, I cut down on dairy, watched what I ate, drank tons more water - but nothing seemed to work. I also made the mistake of using my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo which has worked on my breakouts before - but this time, I just broke out more.. Has anyone else faced this problem?
Heck, I even tried the au naturale route and kept using sandalwood paste on my face. Though it did soothe the angry blemishes, nothing seemed to be working. I wracked my brains wondering what I'd changed in my rountine - and the it hit me like a train, after months of using a BHA Based toner followed by an AHA Based cream at night, I just stopped. I'm not sure why I stopped, but I did, and I think (this is a lot of guesswork on my part) my skin just decided to protest.

Immediately, I started using my Glyco A - 12% Glycolic Acid based cream (Saw it first on Parita's blog) again, and within a week, my skin is under control.
I'm honestly getting a bit emotional while writing this because my skin is such a sensitive issue for me. For someone who had no skin issues all through my teenage years, dealing with breakouts and flare ups in my 20's is something I did not expect. And everytime I have these flare ups (hormones, PCOD, all that fun jazz) my confidence plummets, I don't want to leave the house, I hate looking in a mirror, and most worst of all, I feel hideous.
Yes, I'm learning to deal with it, but honestly speaking... if Glyco A hadn't worked the way it has been.. I'm not sure what I would have done. In a matter of a week or so, it has calmed my skin, fading a lot of the marks that were causing me so much stress. It hasn't stopped my breakouts completely... yet, but it has prevented the severe ones (at one point I woke up everyday with 3 - 4 new very painful and very swollen blemishes).

I use about a half a pea sized quantity over the areas of my face that is affected the most (cheeks, jawline, chin) after I've used my toner. I use my regular moisturizer on the rest of my face and my usual eye cream under my eye.
Few things you need to be cautious about being a) you need to use a very good sunscreen during the day or your skin will burn. (experience speaking) and b) don't use it like you would a spot treatment (I use Benzac AC for that or La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I), use it regularly and if you plan on stopping, don't do it abruptly, stop it gradually.
If you want something milder to start with, there is a Glyco 6 which has 6% Glycolic Acid instead of the 12%. FYI, this costs about INR 150.

Basically, if you're skin is going through shit, I'd say give this a go, you should see results. 

Skincare Additions

So, as was pointed out, I should start with this.. I was lucky enough to be features in the Hindu's Metro Plus today, the article can be found here. Let me know what you think :)

So my skin seems to be going through another rough patch which is just.. frustrating to say the least. I honestly don't know what seems to be wrong with it. It seems to be trying to mimic the surface of the moon, and nothing I use seems to help - not that I have a problem with the moon, just don't want my face to resemble it, y'know?
So in an effort to figure out what the problem is, I've cut back on the skincare products.. using only the bare minimum, 'cause sometimes too much can cause more trouble. A double cleanse, a bit of toner and a good moisturizer. For a while now I've been using the SebaMed Foaming Cleanser, which I thought was really helping my skin, but it also really dries it out, leaving me looking almost scaley *shudder*. I've also been using a fair amount of Salicylic Acid based products which once again seems to be drying my skin more than helping.. so I've cut back from the harsh-drying products and I'm trying to use more gentle products that hopefully will help calm down this horrid reaction my skin seems to be having. To what? Your guess is as good as mine.
Two things that have helped immensely already are The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil, which seems to be everybodys new favorite cleanser. It gets most of your makeup off in just about one pump and it smells are feels really amazing. I follow this up with my Clinique Cleansing Balm.
For Toner, a new one which seems to have helped my skin *touchwood* is the La Roche Posay Serozinc, which is a zinc sulphate mist that really helps calm down any major breakouts. Though I haven't had it for very long, I do have a crazy set of breakouts on one side of my face (two face anyone? If you meet me in person, I keep switching to the non breakout side, resulting in a minor creek in the neck) which this seems to be helping. Its terribly hard to find, so I have to thank Ki for this really exciting late birthday present.
I've also just purchased the Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel to replace my SebaMed cleanser, we'll see how that goes.

Have you tried either of these products?

The Daily Cleanse

Good skin is something we all take for granted. Even if you don't wear makeup, I think taking care of your skin is something that should always be a priority. Coming from an Indian family where "au naturale" is the mantra when it comes to hair/makeup/skin, its difficult for us to imagine what your skin actually requires. 
The one thing my mother always told me to to repeatedly was wash my face twice a day and wear sunscreen regularly, which is half the battle in itself. Once you get past just using soap/face wash twice a day and start using sunscreen, you can slowly add a few more products - or five.

When I started getting into makeup, my idea of taking it off was using a makeup wipe (shock, gasp, horror) followed by washing my face. I did this for over a year before my skin took a turn for the worse.
Whilst on the desperate quest to find something, anything that would help rid my of my blemishes I discovered that the solution isn't in just one product - its an entire set of things. It was time to change the way I look at my skincare. If you can spend tons of money on buying Makeup/Shoes/Hangbags/Clothes, you can sacrifice some of that money for good skincare products.
First up - Cleansing. Cleansers come in different forms - Oils, Balms, Micelle Solutions, Foaming Cleansers etc - your face wash and Makeup remover essentially cleanse your skin However, it isn't enough to just remove your makeup with a makeup remover (please don't use wipes, I beg you) and wash your face. You need to do more. Take it from me, I learnt the hard way. See, its important to get rid of the days dirt and grime before you decide to add things (Products with AHA's [Glycolic Acid] or BHA's [Salicylic Acid]) which are good for your skin. But more on that in a later post...

In the morning, I usually just wash my face with my SebaMed Clear Face Cleansing Foam with a pH of 5.5 (This really helps if you have blemish prone skin. Its one of those products that you need to leave on your face for 3 minutes and then wash it off. I know Caroline Hirrons is dead against Foaming Cleansers, as are a lot of people, but this seems to work for me) and then the other products in my skincare routine.
In the evening, even if I'm not wearing Makeup, I like to start by using my Bioderma Micelle Solution all over my face. I use that to get rid of the majority of my makeup/days dirt (hello polluted and dusty air, my skin thanks you. NOT), followed mostly by the Clinique Take a Day Off Cleansing Balm to get whatever is left off my face. Once I wash that off, I use the SebaMed Cleanser once again to make sure everything is squeaky clean. This is followed by my nightly skincare routine.
Bottom line - clean your face.

What are your favorite cleansers?

The Body Shop Staples

I've been using TBS products for over 6 years now, and I can safely say, I've tried a LOT of their stuff - I'd never go to the point of saying all their stuff - but most. Over these six years, while trying various things, there have always been a few products that I kept going back to, that you'll always find a backup of lying around my house, somewhere.

TBS Body Wash in Strawberry (INR 445)
I can safely say I've tried every one of their various Body Wahses, I've also tried Lush and Olay, but I always keep going back to this one - I find it the most moisturizing of the bunch. It lathers like a dream, smells amazing and is one of the only products I always find in stock. I've been using it continuously for over a year now, and I've never once wanted to switch to anything else. Staple? Oui.

TBS Body Polish in Strawberry/Satsuma (INR 595)
I use the Strawberry in most of the yer, but the Satsuma is reserved for summer. This is one of the most gentle yet effective exfoilators - I use it every alternate day - especially on my legs, and I have to say - it really has made things smoother. It has also helped with the ingrowth I get due to Epilating and Waxing.

TBS Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue (INR 795)
THIS. Oh boy, that smell is something else. This may sound gross but when I first started using this I used to get this intense urge to sniff my feet. THAT is how good it smells. It latter occoured to me to just use it on my elbows and knees aswell because this stuff.. works. As far as creams go it is thick and a bit greasy, which is why I use it mostly at night; by morning all the dryness has disappeared. It really is "intensive" and works like a dream.

TBS Honey and Oat 3-IN-1 Scrub Mask (INR 1195)
I used to be a religious Lush Mask user - but when Lush pulled out of India, I frantically began looking for other masks. Now, let me just say this now - this mask is better than any Lush mask I have tried (and I've tried all of them -_-) It soothes my skin while hydrating it and gently exfoliates too. I used it when I get particularly angry looking spots, and this calms them down, dries them out a bit and takes away the angry red down a notch. Its safe to say, this is the best face mask I have ever used.

TBS Vitamin E Facial Oil (INR 1295)
My newest staple. I originally wanted to try the Pai facial oil, but since it isn't easily available here, I turned to this. It's Caroline Hirons approved - which is good enough for me. I use it at night on alternate days, and during the day when my skin feels particularly dehydrated.

Do you like TBS? If so, what are your favorites? 

Take a Day Off with Clinique.

The day I got the Clinique Take a Day Off Cleansing Balm, I was ecstatic. Little bit of history here for you.. I've been trying to get hold of this for months.. yes, months. Its ALWAYS out of stock here. I was close to giving up when I decided - one jobless afternoon - to track it down. I called all the counters in the city until one which was 14kms away from me said they recieved shipment the previous day and had 5 of these in stock. This was at 2 in the afternoon. So I went there in the evening (yes, 14 kms), only to get there just in time to pick up the last one at 7:30.

*insert angels singing*

I request you not to gasp and cry when you see my very scarred bare face. But the above picture illustrates for you exactly what this balm does. Its looks like a solid oil, and melts in your fingers just like one.. you massage it all over your face (picture two), look incredibly shiney and dirty for a few minutes, rinse your face and come out looking like angel. No really, glow et all.
Nothing gets rid of makeup like this stuff. And its probably the only reason why I will now give balm cleansers a chance. Because they work so darn well.
This is fragrance free (like much of Clinique skincare), costs INR 2000 for 125ml, and is an all round winner in every sense.
Still not convinced that you need this? I asked my very skeptical mother to try it, and her jaw literally dropped.

Buy it, your face will thank you. I know mine is now forever grateful to my brain, Caroline Hirons, the freelance gig that allowed me to buy this and the clinique store 14kms away.

Do you own this? You really should. 

Skin Saviors

I've mentioned several times over the past few months that my skin has been to the dogs and back, repeatedly. As someone who always had good skin through my teenage years, skincare was never a priority - moisturizer or sunscreen if I remembered in the morning (which was almost always never), a dab of lip balm at night, that was about it. The one thing I always did though, was wash my face twice a day.
Over the last four years my skin has really started acting up.. pimples, chronic white heads on my nose, stubborn blackheads, scarring, hyperpigmentation, you name it, I've had it.
So my quest for a good skincare routine began, one that has made me run through tons of different products mostly under the presumption that my skin was very oily - as mentioned before.
Recently though, when I was at the Chanel counter looking at skincare, the SA asked me how long I was suffering from "dry - dehydrated skin", which shocked me beyond return. After spending a good hour figuring out what was happening with my skin, followed by pointing out of a few "obvious" symptoms that had gone unnoticed (tightness, dry patches etc).. I walked away quite literally a new woman.
SO let me break it down. My skin from the looks of it has always been dry/combination.. but when I started breaking out, I, like everyone who was selling my products to combat the acne presumed I had oily skin. So I've been using products for 4 years that have essentially stripped my face of its natural oils, drying my skin. The more dry it got, the more oil my skin produced to compensate for the lack to moisture - hence, the more breaking out.
Since I realized my skin was dehydrated, I took immediate steps to help it. Enter Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask, I use this stuff at night, and once I started using it, I could feel my face becoming better, dry patches disappearing and the acne along with it. During the day time, I use the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer +, which is basically moisture in a bottle. Once I incorporated these two in my daily skincare routine, the breakouts seem to have lessened considerably. I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Toner on my nose, and chin area where I'm most prone to white heads.. CRAZY white head situation there.. but on the mend. My Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sun Block is something that cannot be beaten, our relationship goes back 5 years and counting.
On stops I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, and on active Breakouts - La-Roche Posay Effaclar AI (if there is one product that really works, its this)
For eyecream I use the The Nature's Company White Rose Eye Cream, which is meh - so if you have suggestions, please, comment below!
And ofcourse, my chaped lip savior the La-Roche Posay Ceralip. I use it at night and I have baby lips the next morning.

So, this is my current skincare routine, which I'm rather happy with... *touches all kinds of wood*. I normally use Bioderma to remove my makeup, but I'm also planning on inventing in the Clinique Cleansing Balm.

Your thoughts?