Intense Hydration: Himalaya For Moms Soothing Body Butter Range

During pregnancy, hormonal changes in the body cause your skin to lose moisture and elasticity, as it stretches and prepares to accommodate a growing belly and another human being. And that reminds me about the sudden stretch marks that appeared in my 9th month of pregnancy that gave me the shock of my life! Additionally, once you deliver your baby, estrogen levels majorly drop, resulting in skin that gets even more dry than it was during pregnancy. When I was going through this phase, there were hardly any brands that I could trust and I resorted to more natural stuff, which also meant longer self-indulgence. But, with a baby, time is not a luxury you can afford. This is when I wished for body butters that were Ayurvedic and with multiple ingredients that would help my skin and which I could use right after a shower in a jiffy, but reap the benefits through the day.

Natural Intimate Care for MOMS!

Mothers to be and new mothers need the most care. A mother to be is braving pregnancy, while a new mother has braved pregnancy, childbirth and is going through countless sleepless nights, all with a smile on her face, because her baby means the world to her and she would do anything for him/her! Doing all this while she manages the hormonal changes as well as physical changes in her body deserves a lot of credit.

The Power of Gold - VLCC Insta Glow Gold Bleach! #InstaGlow

Gold is a precious metal that each and every person aspires to own as jewellery or gold bars, but not many of us know the skin benefits of the same. In ancient times, gold was used for skin care and skin treatments. The Romans used gold preparations for the treating skin lesions and sores. The Chinese believed that gold was the secret to having youthful skin. Japanese declared a gold leaf facial treatment that would help the skin rejuvenate and reduce the wrinkles. Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen, who was known to be the most beautiful woman in the world in ancient times, was known to sleep with a gold face mask every night to enhance her complexion. So it is but natural, that with such history of gold being used for beauty treatments, today's skin products and treatments will obviously make use of gold in it to give us results.

Your Child's Essential Shield This Summer - The Baby Sebamed pH 5.5 SPF 50 Sun Lotion

Summer is already here! I mean I felt like it was summer in Mumbai right in the middle of February itself with temperatures hitting 38 degrees. Google also proves this to me every morning when it sends me messages not to step out as the UV rays are too strong. Things change with time, but who knew that with time the world would become a hotter place to live in! Well the issue of global warming is affecting us since a few years now, but instead of taking measures to slow it down, our country leaders continue to make developmental plans, which to fulfill, they do not mind chopping off humongous amounts of trees and mangroves that reduce atmospheric Carbon dioxide and prevent larger amounts of greenhouse gases from reaching the atmosphere. I remember when I was a kid, summer vacations would be the best part of the year because we would visit our native towns and play in the sun all day. In my childhood days, I never had a sun stroke or used any kind of sunscreen to stay safe from the sun because in those years, the UV rays weren't able to reach us that easily and there also were enough trees to protect us and reduce the atmospheric heat, but today that is not the case. Now we have this constant confusion on how to save ourselves from the heat and what to use to save our skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

Winter Magic with Medimix Ayurvedic!

Aaahhh the winters are here! :) The chill in the air, the endless cups of tea and coffee, winter special food and the coziness of the blankets, all these make winters so so special. On the flip side it also brings dry skin and the need for extra care which my skin needs as it becomes very very dry. My husband is a big advocate of using glycerine for retaining moisture in the skin, as his grandmother and mother use generous amounts of glycerine with lime juice to avoid dry skin during the harsh and dry winters of North India. So this season after a little research, I bought the new Lakshadi oil based glycerine soap from Medimix. Medimix has been around for many years and is one of the leading Ayurvedic soap brands in India. Finally time for me to 'Go Natural with Medimix'!

Balancing life with Lever Ayush!

Life in today's world is all about working smart and getting most out of your day. But there are days when things don’t stay in your control like getting stuck for hours in a traffic jam or the baby refusing to sleep till late into the night or back to back socializing and in the current season, loads of weddings to attend to. If you have too many of these days in quick succession then life becomes imbalanced and effects of this imbalance becomes visible in more than one way. You may have an acne breakout, a backache, headache/migraines and even hair loss. I have recently started using the Lever Ayush range of products to fight some of these imbalances as it helps you rediscover health and vitality through customized Ayurvedic solutions. These products are specifically designed to solve problems brought about by the pressures of a modern day lifestyle. The Ayush range consists of products for skin, hair, pain management and oils. The product range name is simple and the name itself communicates the intended benefit.

Radiant skin with the goodness of Oxygen

The minute I mention to people that I bleach, I get the strangest stares like I am committing some biggggggggg crime. Well if you live in a city like Bombay(I still prefer to call it that than Mumbai,) then the pollution plays havoc with your skin especially if you travel within the city regularly. Along with pollution you are exposed to the harsh rays of the sun which together can cause real damage like dulling the skin, accelerated aging and uneven skin tone. All this is mainly caused because the level of oxygen in our skin decreases. But how would bleaching be an answer to this you must be wondering as bleach is considered harmful by most people, and that is why most people judge my beauty sense and knowledge. Well it is because I use the Oxylife Crème Bleach for women which is an amazing product that contains the goodness of oxygen and is suitable for any skin type.

Before my pregnancy I would usually head to the salon for my bleaching sessions, and the product used was of a brand of international repute. It was with the goodness of oxygen as well, but when I got pregnant I stopped bleaching altogether due to the doctor asking me to stop these treatments. Thankfully pregnancy had a good effect on my skin and as I hardly stepped out, my skin had a nice pregnancy glow to it which did not make me miss bleaching too much. After Aryaa was born, I decided to get back to bleaching as my engagements outside increased and my sleep reduced due to which the glow began to fade. But the salon that I earlier went too was in Colaba and so it was just not possible for me to go there all the way from Vashi. That is when a blogger friend of mine told me about Oxylife Crème Bleach which I could use at home and get similar results. The next day I went right ahead and bought it. What she said was true, it is a revolutionary bleach and after 10 months of no bleaching, the change showed immediately. Its special oxygen technology infuses a healthy glow and makes your skin look flawless.

When the scientifically formulated Oxylife Crème Bleach is applied on the skin, pure oxygen is released but the micro structurants that it contains help prevent the released oxygen from escaping into the atmosphere. The oxygen then carries active ingredients into the skin and thereby nourishes, energizes and protects it. The bleach comes with a very effective post-bleach radiance serum which further nourishes the skin and in tandem with the bleach, helps repair 5 problems like dark spots, uneven skin tone, dull skin, dead skin cells and sun tan for long lasting radiance. This cream is not for those who are looking at very strong bleaches. This is a mild yet effective bleach. The best part is that it contains no ammonia which is what most people fear.

If you have never used this before, I recommend a patch test first. Here are the directions for use:

1. Wash face with plain water and pat dry.
2. Take Crème bleach and powder activator in the ratio of 7:1 and mix well.
3. Mix well for 2 minutes till the powder activator doesn't dissolve completely.
4. Use the spatula and apply the mixture to the face and neck. Avoid eyebrows and around the eyes.
5. If your skin tone is fair leave on for 15-20 mins, if wheatish then 10-15 minutes and if darker then up to 10 minutes. Over time you will come to the time that works best for you.
6. After the recommended time is up, wash off with plain water.
7. When done, apply the post-bleach serum to the bleached area.

Here are the precautions you need to take:

1. Do not use soap for 5 hours after bleach
2. Avoid stepping out in the sun immediately
3. Use it once in every 2-3 weeks and not earlier

The Oxylife Crème Bleach costs INR 35/- for the 7gms pack which is for 1 use and INR 80/- for the 27gms pack which suffices for 3 uses.

My experience with this product was a good one. While I did feel a tingling sensation in the first 5 mins, it is normal for my skin to react that way with the mildest of bleaches and it is nothing to worry about. It has given me radiant skin and reduced my trips to the salon with similar effects coming for about 1/10th price. You must definitely give this a try! :)

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Life with the Phicomm Passion 660

With the amount of work blogging entails, one phone is just not enough to manage everything. While my current one is more than a year old, I'm currently looking at having another one which will be purely a work phone. Testing phones to see which one best fits that bill is what I am upto these days and the latest one that I have laid my hands on is Phicomm's Passion 660 which has made quiet a mark on me I must say. With so many Chinese phone makers in the market, Phicomm - another Chinese company makes a bold move to start selling its phone in India. Priced at INR 10,999, the P660 comes packed with a 2GB RAM, a full HD display and a processor which can take care of all my multi-tasking needs.

Since I am already using a pure android phone, I was amazed when I got the P660 in my hands. It's a phone which is at one third the price of my current phone but most of the features either match up or are much better. As a premium phone user, my notions regarding Chinese handsets stand changed with the P660.

The phone’s design is like any other rectangular shaped phones, but the moment I took the phone in my hands, it felt so light! Can you believe that it weighs only 110 grams?! The phone is really slim and compact too. The sides have a very neat alloy finish (giving it a premium feel) with the power button having a metallic bronze touch to it and the volume buttons on the other side are also metallic. The back is pretty neat with a black matte finish which according to the company is scratch resistant and to my liking does not bear any finger prints after being used. The camera and flash also have a chrome finish to it. Over all I feel the built quality is really good for a phone in this price range.

The P660 has a 5-inch full HD (1920x1080p) IPS display with good brightness and colors at decent viewing angles. Over time as I used more of this phone, I realized the screen was much better than the supposedly more premium phones in the market.

The camera is one of the most important features for me and that makes or breaks my decision. The phone comes packed with a 13 megapixel rear camera, a 5 megapixel front camera(selfies come out fabulous), and with a camera app of its own. Check out the awesome pictures taken with the Passion 660 on the right in the collages below.

The options for zero shutter mode and burst mode makes the camera app comparable to a high end phone. The burst mode took upto 15 shots without any lag and I must tell you it was impressive. It has a sunset mode which is actually the HDR mode. The front camera works very well with the burst mode and this feature is not available in most high end phones. You can also pre-choose the color mode before you take a shot.

The user interface makes handling the P660 a breeze. It comes packed with the Kitkat 4.4 with its own set of customization. The dropdown menu has simple and useful shortcuts which make using the phone very easy. Apart from the usual google apps the phone comes with its own apps for music, calculator, messaging, file explorer, data transfer over wifi and many more. What really caught my eye was the gesture control option. With the help of the front camera the phone detects hand movements and I think it was pretty accurate. The hand gestures can be used to pull down the notification tray and browse through the screens from left to the right at the flick of a hand.

A video posted by Ritcha@RitchStyles (@ritcha) on Jul 5, 2015 at 1:22pm PDT

I extensively blog on the go as well as vlog on YouTube now, have a heavy usage of social media, photo editing softwares and messaging apps which slows down most phones. However the P660 worked without any lag while doing any of these or switching between apps. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa core chip with 1.5GHz processor, Adreno 405 graphics and 2GB DDR3 RAM does a pretty good job without any doubt.

As a fashion and lifestyle blogger, memory for me is really important as I create daily content of 200-500 MB. The phone comes with a 16GB internal storage which can be extended upto 64GB which I think is pretty decent for my kind of usage. As far as my battery need is concerned, any phone which can work atleast for 5-7 hours at a stretch without being put on charge works for me especially when I step out. The 2300 mAH battery does a decent job of being alive for 9-10 hours of normal usage and 4-5 hours of heavy usage.

Can you see how happy this phone makes me? Well that's all because the Phicomm Passion 660 has been a total surprise package - light weight, sleek design, great screen and my most favorite the camera, all at a price of INR 10,999 which is absolute value for money. If you are looking at anything in the same price range with the same features, don't look anywhere else because not even premium phones at double the price offer you some of these features. This phone definitely has made it to my top 3 choices and I can't wait to make the final decision soon :) Stay tuned!

Photos Courtesy: My adorable brother Rischav

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For further information, please reach out to http://mediamoments.in

Product Review : Vichy LiftActiv Supreme

For the longest time in my life which was till the age of 25, I never bothered too much about skin care products for my facial skin. A simple moisturiser or face cream with SPF was the most I used to care about as I have dry skin. After I turned 25, people told me to start using anti-ageing products and I used to think "Damn! I am only 25, what rubbish are these people talking" and ignored their suggestions which till date I don't regret. However I did move onto superior day creams and night creams but never anti-ageing. Turning 30 was the point when I started considering anti-ageing products but again it was never a regular affair. Good products was always the consideration and not anti-ageing. But now as I inch closer to my mid 30s, anti-aging products have started becoming a regular part of my life. Well chosen, carefully researched and effective products from good brands is what I concentrate on now for my daily regime.

As I thoroughly research every time I plan on trying out a new product, the evolution of skincare products especially in the anti-ageing segment have totally blown my mind lately. One such product that I have started using is the Vichy LiftActiv Supreme which I will say has been my best find till date. What's so different is what you must be wondering? Well, it's not just a regular anti-ageing product focused on long term ageing - it's a product to combat day ageing! It deals with the simple problem of looking older in the evening than in the morning better known as over-day ageing which is something that most of us don't pay attention to or know little about. Day ageing in the form of a dulling complexion to fine lines is what contributes to long term ageing and hence correction must be brought in at the early stages. LiftActiv Supreme by Vichy is the first product in the market to combat this problem.

I have been using this cream for a month now which you can very well see with the amount that has already been used up :) I went for the normal to combination skin variant as this summer I saw my skin behave more normal than dry - something that was not the case before I had Aryaa. In a way it's good because having dry skin only makes fine lines and wrinkles appear much earlier than other skin types and needs a lot more care. The first thing that I felt was how radiant, supple and fresh my face looked even at the end of the day. Over a few days I also noticed my skin feel more hydrated and smooth without the oiliness even a few hours after application. Lastly I could see a reduction in the fine lines around my eyes and my laugh lines that had started to appear recently, along with the skin feeling much firmer. However the real test has taken place in the last 2 weeks when my daughter fell really sick and I barely slept taking care of her and being stressed. This product has worked wonders not letting any of it take a toll on my skin. You can no way tell looking at my face how stressful the last 10 days has been all thanks to this product. This is what has made me truly believe in the efficacy of the Vichy LiftActiv Supreme and how amazing it is. The only claim that I can't really comment on is the anti-wrinkle bit because thankfully I haven't developed any wrinkles yet :)

The main ingredient of this cream is Rhamnose(5%) that is responsible for the increased toning and firmness of the skin. Next is the powerful antioxidant Neohesperidine(0.2%) that fights fine lines and wrinkles. Together these two ingredients work wonders. To support them is Caffeine(0.2%) that fights puffiness and tiredness and Adenosine(0.1%) that helps prevent wrinkles. It also contains fortifying and soothing Vichy Thermal Spa Water and claims to be Paraben-free which makes it suitable for sensitive skin too. Hence you can apply it to the eye area too without any worries.

While in the jar the cream looks thick, it actually is very light and absorbs easily into the skin without leaving any white residue. It also doesn't feel greasy or sticky on touch. There also is an instant glow that appears to the skin once it absorbs the cream which is visible clearly in the second picture above. This is due to the 3D optical correctors that the cream is enriched with that creates an immediate blurring effect to give a luminious glow for the instant youthful appeal. I love the sweet fragrance of the cream which is unlike any of the creams I have used till date. You need to use just a pea size amount for it to work its magic. It's the perfect base for your make-up too. If you are stepping out in the sun, you need to use a sunscreen as it doesn't contain any SPF. I would only recommend this to be used if you are 30+

The packaging is very normal in a light silver jar(that looks more white in the pictures) and the only attractive part is the mirror effect cap. However the jar is made of really heavy plastic whose only benefit is that it will not break if you drop the jar. I missed having a spill proof lid which for a cream of this texture should have been present. I didn't really miss a spatula because as far as my face is concerned, I would rather use freshly washed hands to apply the cream than a spatula which stays dipped within the cream or has to be washed everyday before using the cream as I am very finicky about such things. It costs INR 2350 for 50 ml which is very justified for the effects it has on the skin and for how long it lasts. 

I must say that Vichy after 10 years of research has created a one of its kind promising product with the Vichy LiftActiv Supreme that truly does what it says and this is just the beginning of my long relationship with this brand.

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Product Review: L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation

After the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Liquid Foundation review, it's now time to review another delightful product from the long wear range - the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation. I stayed away from powder foundations for the longest time, always believing that a real foundation has to be liquid otherwise the end result will always be cakey and powdery but the latest launches in the last one year are making me change that thought process of mine. L'Oréal Paris sent me the shade 225 - Biege and I must say they were bang on in sending the right shade to match my skin tone.

The packaging is unlike other brands that I have been using. The powder palette is housed on top and then then mirror and sponge are housed in a compartment below.

While I am not used to a double compartment and prefer the powder, sponge and mirror in the same compartment so that I don't have to shuffle, since this is a powder foundation and not just a pressed powder, this kind of packaging is best so that incase you use it wet, the wet sponge doesn't come in contact with the powder after closing the box and dries in a separate area. This helps in avoiding fungal growth as well. Ideally dry your sponge out of the box and then place it inside.

I have used the powder foundation both dry and wet and here are the results for you to see!

Dry Application

Dry application is good if you are looking for light to medium coverage. You can use it as a pressed powder over your liquid foundation or concealer for a flawless looking complexion. I have used it here just over my clean skin.

Wet Application

Wet application is great for medium to heavy coverage. In fact I really loved the smoothness and flawless coverage of the wet application. You can completely do away with applying a liquid foundation.

This too whether used dry or wet doesn't dry the skin out and keeps it hydrated through the day. It gives you a matte finish which lasts through the day despite the hydrating factor. The L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation is available in 4 shades and costs INR 1250/- This is a perfect travel companion when you don't want to carry too much make-up as this works in 2 ways. Keeps away my stress of carrying foundations in glass bottles too.

If you have dry skin like me, this product is just perfect for your skin! :)

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Product Review: L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Liquid Foundation

L'Oréal Paris is one brand whose zest never ceases to amaze me. The way they are forever launching innovative new ranges and products with amazing features be it skincare, hair care or make-up shows how committed they are in telling us women how worth we are! The last few months have been the best ever in their offerings I must say, be it the Infallible lipsticks to the Reds Collection to the Cannes 2015 collection to the Infallible Reno range that has been launched now in the long wear category. I had shared with you guys on my Instagram the lovely products they had sent across to me in a beautiful pouch to try and review and if you missed it, then check it out!

A photo posted by Ritcha@RitchStyles (@ritcha) on Jun 2, 2015 at 6:23am PDT

This post is all about my experience with the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Liquid Foundation which was sent to me in two shades to try out along with the pretty diamond mirror and brushes to use to apply the foundation.

The bottle comes with a pump dispenser that helps in reduction of wastage and about 5 to 6 pumps are more than enough to cover my entire face and neck. The foundation claims to last for 24 hours and hence it's a part of the Infallible range as it never will let you down, but the max I have used it is for 6 to 8 hours and that has worked really well for me. The coverage is also really good and I have even given the concealer a skip once. The great part about this product is that you don't sweat too much even in heat or humidity thus reducing chances of shine and neither does the skin feel dry. If you touch your skin while the foundation is on, you will never notice patches which tend to appear in the case of a lot of foundations when you touch your face. It contains Hydrating Hyaluron which is what provides the continuous hydration all-day and extreme hold pigments for the whole day coverage. Having dry skin the hydration aspect is most important for me.

I tried both the shades sent to me and let me show you what it looked it!

I used my fingers for this shade as I am most comfortable with my fingers. However this shade felt slightly lighter for my skin tone especially around the darker areas of my face like my eyes that looked whitish and hence patchy.

I used a brush to apply this shade and I quite liked the airbrushed look it gave me. Well I had been told that the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Liquid Foundation's texture is perfect for brush application and I totally agree with that. Also as you can see, this shade matched my skin tone much better as compared to the previous one

Available in 11 shades, the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Liquid Foundation is priced at INR 1325/- which is quite reasonable for a long stay foundation and if you are looking for one that will solve your day long problems, this is just the one for you!

I am also going to be reviewing the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Reno Powder Foundation for you soon, so stay tuned!

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