2011 favourites - HAIRCARE

These are tried and tested list of products. Even though I have tried some more hair products, these are the ones which I have been regularly using this year. These are my favourite haircare product for the year 2011.

HAIR OIL:
I do believe that oil massages are good for your hair and make it a point to go for regular hair oil massage followed by steam once in every week. If I get my hair oil massage done from a salon, I always carry my own hair oil. These are my all time favorite hair oils.


1. Dabur Sweet Almond oil (Also known as Roghan Badaam Shirin)

2. Figaro Olive oil





3. Forest Essential Sugandha Hair Oil

4. Fab India Sesame Hair Oil

HAIR CLEANSER
I was recommended Elution shampoo by my dermatologist for my sensitive scalp. I really like this shampoo as it is very light and is even good for everyday hair wash. It doesn't dry out your hair. Elution shampoo cannot be used for oil massage after wash as it is a small bottle and a lot of shampoo is needed to wash off the oil from my hair. In that case I tend to use any other shampoo like Dove or Pantene whatever I can find in my bathroom.  Sometimes when I feel like I treat my hair to my Lush shampoos.
I have also been a fan of Loreal absolute repair shampoo and conditioner for a long time. These are heavy moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Good when u actually want your hair to weigh down and behave properly in a ladylike manner :)

1. Lush Curly Wurly Shampoo

2. Lush Big Shampoo

3. Loreal Absolute Repair Shampoo

4. Ducray Elution Shampoo

HAIR CONDITIONERS

My all time favorite this year has been Lush American Cream conditioner. It smells lovely and is very light on hair. Doesn't weigh it down.

1. Lush American Cream Conditioner

2. Loreal Absolute repair conditioner

HAIR SERUM

These two definitely have been my favorite. John Frieda for any styling and Livon for just smoothening my hair after a wash.

1. John frieda frizz-ease hair serum

2. Livon Hair Potion

2011 Favourites - Skincare

Every girl experiments with new products to finally realize the favourite ones with which she can stick to. Shifting to Mumbai to a totally different climate lead me to look out for a new skincare range which could help me to survive the humid weather conditions. Following are the items which have been my favourite skincare products for 2011:


Face wash/cleansers:

1. Forest Essential - Multani mitti Ubtan (Review HERE)

2. Lush - Coal Face Wash (during summers and monsoon)

3. Lush - Aqua Marina Face cleanser (during winters)

Face Toner:
1. Rose water spray by Fab India

Moisturisers:
1. Body Shop - Vit E Illuminating Moisture Cream

2. Body Shop - Vit E Nourishing Night Cream

Face Scrub:
1. Aroma magicMineral Glow Scrub

2. Lotus herbal walnut scrub

Review - Lush Rehab Shampoo

Lush describes this shampoo as :


"Olive and jojoba oil shampoo to restore strength and flexibility to abused hair. Rehab is shampoo for hair which had been abused and needs some rest and relaxation. It doesn't take long for this shampoo to restore your hair to youth and vitality. Enzymic papaya cleanses, while almond oil softens the follicles. Once your badly conditioned hair has been put into Rehab, you will never look back."


Price : 100 gms - 680/-, 250 gms - 1340/-, 500 gms - 2100/-


I had read great reviews about this shampoo so decided to try this out. I am soo glad i bought the 100 gms bottle as this is the first Lush product I have got dissappointed with.


As it promises I had not expected it to magically transform my dry hair into silky and glossy hair but it didnt do anything mediocre also. I admit like any other Lush product this smells great, works up to a lather nicely and leaves hair feeling squeeky clean. But it dries out my hair badly and even after using Lush conditioner i dont like the end result. I prefer using the Big shampoo and Curly Wurly from Lush along with american cream conditioer as they make my hair really soft.


This product might work for people with oily hair but its a strict no no for dry hair.

Ratings: ✰✰ - 2/5

Will I buy this again: No

Review - Lush - It started with a kiss Lip Tint

I like the idea of lip stains and lip tints as they are long lasting and give a beautiful natural " I'm born with it " pretty pink/red lips. But the only downside is that they are very drying on your lips. I love the Body shop lip and cheek stain but I use it only as a cheek stain.

Recently Lush released their first lip tints here in India. Apparantly there are three shades in UK whereas just two of those have been released here in India.

These two shades are

Left to Right : Double Choc and It started with a kiss

Double Choc -  A brown chocolate colored lip tint - 710/ for 10 gms.
Hazelnut and brazil nut oils moisturise and protect the lips, while icing sugar and black treacle give it a sweet, creamy texture. This balm has a little colour, too, to tint your lips with creamy chocolate.

It started with a kiss - A reddish pink colored lip tint - 710/- for 10 gms.
It Started With a Kiss lip tint is a tinted balm that makes your lips an enticing crimson red, sure to lure your prince (or princess) charming from the path they had mistakenly wandered off on! Our red apple, cinnamon and white chocolate flavour is delicious. It's a perfect blend of spice and sweetness, and it makes you think of candy apples.

As soon as I tried their liptints, I fell in love with "It started with a kiss". It looks quite scary red color in the pan but it is quite true to its function of a lip tint. It goes on matte on your lips and adds a reddish pink tint to it. Though its bit brighter than the natural pink color that your lips should be, it does tend to get light as soon as it settles. It is also not as drying as the other lip stains or tints due to the presence of coconut oil and shea butter in it but it is also not as moisturising as a lip balm or a lip treatment. Still it ranks way above in my list of lip tints.

Its my favourite product to use during monsoons and when the weather is really humid ( Monsoons were never so much issue in Delhi but in Mumbai you have to completely change your skincare and lipcare routine during monsoon ). If your lips are dry and flaky then I would recommend scrubbing your lips before using this product as it might enhance imperfections. I use Lush Mint Juleps (A lip scrub) for my lips before using the liptint. and sometimes use a light gloss or a lipbalm to add a sheen and moisturise the lips.

Pros of Lush lip tints:

• Lip tint containing Coconut oil and shea butter which doesnt dry out the lips.
• Stays on for a long time 4-5 hours though I still prefer to re-apply as i love the bright color it initially leaves on ur lips.
• It smells quite delicious (Cinnamon-apple fragrance) I love the fragrance of all Lush products.
• Can be used under lipsticks or gloss to make the lipcolor stay longer.
• Easy to carry around.
• Can be used as a cheek tint as well.
• A little goes a long way. Just a small amount of product needed as it is quite pigmented.

Cons of Lush lip tints:

• I dont like the concept of a lipbalm or a lip color in a pot. I find it quite unhygienic to use and leads to waste of product. Also as it is a tint, it leaves the tip of the fingers stained with the product.

Ratings: ✰✰✰✰ (would have given a five star if it was in a stick form)

Review - Lush Retread Conditioner

I love Lush products for two reasons:

• They contain natural ingredients (fruits, yoghurt, natural oils etc). They are not harmful for your hair as compared to other commercial hair products. ( Do check out the ingredients on your shampoo bottle or conditioner - it is filled with harmful chemicals)
• All Lush products smells amazingg! Be it their shampoos, Conditioners or soaps.

Price : INR 1230/- for 245 gms.

As per Lush Website:

Triple strength conditioner for extra softness. As with so many Lush products, Retread appears, on first contact, to resemble a cholesterol-laden pudding. It is scented with violets and oranges with a hint of sensual musk. You can use a spoon, if you like, but we prefer to dip our hands in and plaster the super-smoothing cream all over our hair for the seaweed, yoghurt, cantaloupe melon and jojoba oil to give seriously sad hair its shine back. Do not use it if your hair is lifeless and limp, Retread would squash it flat. Use it when your hair is feeling rough, harsh and wrecked. Retread will restore its sanity.

Is recommended for use with Rehab Shampoo but i use it with Big shampoo.

Pros : 

• Does not contain silicones (Silicones aggaravate hair problems)
• Contains natural ingredients.
• Does not weigh down your hair.
• Makes hair soft.
• Smells wonderful!

Cons:

• Contains Sodium Lauryl Sulphate 
• Does not work on the frizz in your hair effectively.
• Pricey

Ratings: ✰✰✰ +0.5

Will I buy this again: Yes i.e. if i dont find anything better than this. Even though its not a heavy conditioner, i find it safe for everyday use. Also i am addicted to the fragrance.

Review - Lush Les Cacas

Caca, is a product of Lush which is simply an enhanced version of henna. Henna in India is used for mehendi tattoo as well as a conditioner and a color for hair. All these years I have been using henna on and off for my hair. My natural hair color is dark brown but whenever I have used henna they have given a red highlight to my hair which is more visible in the sun. 

My experience with LUSH caca has been great. This is like any traditional henna which gives your hair a color highlight. But the best part about this henna is that you have a choice of four colors which I havnt see in traditional henna available in the market (atleast I havnt found any). Plus this has been mixed with cocoa butter for extra conditioning as even though henna is good for your hair, it does tend to leave your hair texture dry and coarse. The cocoa butter in the LUSH caca leaves it soft and smooth. There are also loads of different natural ingredients mixed along with cocoa butter which conditions your hair. These ingredients are mixed with henna and then pressed in the form of blocks.

The four hennas have different effects on different types of hair as far as the color is concerned. Light color hair will get brighter colors as compared to dark hair.
I tried the coco brun which is supposed to give your hair a brown highlight. This henna didn't change my hair color as my base is naturally brown. If this henna is used on blonde hair, it will turn the hair brown. Therefore as i have a dark base, next time i will use a color like rouge mixed with brun or maroon.

Price :  INR 910 for one Bar (Each bar as 6 small blocks)

The four different henna colors available at Lush are:

(Description from Lush India website)

"Pure Persian henna mixed with Indian indigo for blue-black tints. It is an ancient Indian tradition to mix red henna with powder from the dried, fermented indigo root, to give dark hair deep blue glints. Indigo is not cheap, so there are some synthetic 'black hennas' around, but we want you to stay away from those! Lush Caca Noir is red henna with indigo powder, clove oil scent and Irish moss seaweed for softness. Cover it with Clingfilm and keep it damp for a redder colour, or let it air dry for a black/blue tint. Pick up any bits which fall on the floor or it'll dye the rugs, too."

"The subtle coffee-coloured one. Caca Brun is made with black and red hennas, plus ground coffee for a deep brown shade. It makes your hair smell like a fresh espresso for a few days. Clove bud oil adds to its spicy scent and we use powdered nettle and seaweed for extra shine and softness. Caca Brun gives your hair a magnificent shine. We recommend it for people with a mousy, undecided hair colour. It's time to make your mind up and come out really shiny brown!"

"Dark red-brown like fresh conkers and as shiny as a new penny. Caca Marron gives a dark red, rich chestnut brown which causes people to comment on its beauty. Really! The coffee gives a strong, deep brown and red henna gives it a glossy, dark red colour to grab the attention. The wild herby, coffee and clove scent is wonderfully natural. Visit a shop and ask the staff which of them use Marron and you'll buy a block."

"The really red one for hair like sunsets. It's red and no mistake. This is the finest Persian red henna with cocoa butter to make it adhere better to the hair and give even more colour, lemon juice for extra shine, rosemary for additional extra shine and clove bud oil because it smells good and warms and stimulates your scalp. You should only use this if you want really red hair."

How to use Lush Cacas:

As these are in the form of blocks the best way is to grate as much Henna as you need. One whole bar has six blocks in it. For hair as long as mine (till the waist) i use four blocks. So with anyone having shorter hair, one bar can last for 2-3 applications. Add some boiling water to the Henna, wait for 5 minutes and then mix it well to make a paste. Be careful of the mixture getting too thin otherwise it will be dripping from your hair. In a big pan put water to boil. Place the bowl containing the water in the pan while the water is boiling. This will indirectly heat the henna. Heat it till it is hot to touch, something which u can manage on your hair for application (this henna has to be applied hot as per Lush, I guess that way the cocoa butter melts better) Apply all over your head and then cover up with a shower cap for a brighter color or leave to air dry for a deeper darker color. Leave it for as much as 4-6 hours and then wash out. Washing out the henna might be trickier than the regular henna because of the cocoa butter in it. The result is soft, shiny hair with a beautiful tinge of color!!
Another thing i liked about this product was that i loathed the way my hair smelled for a week after applying regular henna. But after using Lush caca i really liked the way my hair smelled.


I know it is a very messy and a long process and you need one whole day to do this. But in the end its all worth it!! Will update you guys with the result once i try out Rouge and Maroon.


Ratings: ✰✰✰✰ + 0.5
Will I buy this again: Yes


Let me know your views if u try or have already tried Lush cacas.

Review - Lush BIG Shampoo

As a result of my latest obesession with LUSH i had to review my favourite shampoo BIG. The BIG shampoo by Lush is unlike any other shampoo i have ever used. It contains 50% coarse sea salt. It leaves hair squeeky clean and smells heavenly! As the name suggests it also leaves your hair with more volume along with added shine and softness.

Lush Cosmetics are handmade cosmetics with natural ingredients. Lush describes this shampoo as :

"Sea salt shampoo for shine, softness and big endowments. This pot of oceanic goodness is 50% sea salt to give limp hair the volume it deserves, with seaweed infusion to soften hair and citrus juices for shine. After using Big, your hair will be bouncing back to life"

Price : 330 gm - 1550/- 

It might seem a bit wierd during the first use because of its texture.  But you only need a small amount of shampoo and surprisingly it lathers up well. On massaging, the salts vanishes on its own. It exfoliates your scalp really nicely leaving it absolutely clean especially because of the presence of sea salts in it. But this can also be a slightly negative point in this shampoo. Even though sea salt cleans your scalp thoroughly, it can end up drying your hair a bit. Therefore BIG is not a daily use shampoo. It is only recommended for once a week use. But the "once a week" use leaves a big impact on your hair along with a fragrance which lingers on till your next wash. The salt in the shampoo gives your hair more volume, the lemon and lime juices add shine, and the coconut oil leaves the hair soft. A little goes a long way and if used once a week, this tub will be good enough for 3-4 months.


PROs :


Lathers up well
Cleans thoroughly
Adds Volume
Adds shine
Makes hair soft
Smells great


CONs:


Not a daily Shampoo
Can be a bit drying
A bit on expensive side




Lush store in Mumbai also delivers at your place with an extra delivery charge of 50/- to 100/-
Lush products can be ordered online at http://lushindia.com/


Ratings: ✰✰✰✰✰ - 5/5
Will I buy this again: Definately!!


Kindly give your vote for your favourite shampoo. Incase you want me to add some other brand which is not mentioned below please leave me a comment.