Author Archives: the peachdiary

Product Review, Skincare

Laneige Water Bank Moisture Essence Review

Ok so if you have been following my blog for some time you must know how big of a fan I am of Laneige. I have loved each of their products that I tried in the past and some of them are part of my daily skincare routine. Now I cannot say that Laneige products are affordable. They are definitely pricey, however, they work and that definitely matters. So I bought the Laneige Water Bank Moisture Essence from Nykaa almost 2 months back. It was part of their holiday edition. The entire holiday edition contains two Laneige Cica sleeping mask(10 ml each) and two water sleeping mask(15ml each) and the moisture essence (70 ml). Surprisingly this limited edition package costs the same if you would buy only the moisture essence. So if they are still available on Nykaa or elsewhere, I would suggest you to buy the holiday edition for better value.

Price and Quantity : The 70 ml bottle of moisture essence costs Rs 2590. The holiday edition costs the same but we get 4 small sample size sleeping masks as well. Laneige products are hardly on discount but fortunately I got it at 20% off on Nykaa.

Laneige Water Bank Moisture Essence Review

Description :

WATER ZIPPER TECHNOLOGY FOR SKIN MOISTURIZING AT THE FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL : LANEIGE’s original technology boosts the skin’s moisturizing mechanism from generation to lock-in and purification to moisturize the skin from within, at the fundamental level.

ANTI-OXIDATION EFFECT, GARDEN CRESS : Garden Cress suppresses and removes active oxygen to purify the skin and create a clear bright luminous complexion.

HIGH CONCENTRATION OF MINERAL EXTRACTED, OCEAN BREW METHOD : LANEIGE’s original Ocean Brew method ensures the complete preservation of a high concentration of minerals extracted at a low temperature for five hours.

Ingredients : Water / Aqua / Eau, Propanediol, Glycerin, Squalane, Hexyldecyl Myristoyl Methylaminopropionate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Myristyl Myristate, Pca Dimethicone, Sea Water / Maris Aqua / Eau De Mer, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fragrance / Parfum, Disodium Edta, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Lecithin, Brassica Oleracea Gemmifera (Brussels Sprouts) Extract, Phaseolus Lunatus (Green Bean) Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside.

How to Use :

So as described by the Laneige product development team, the moisture essence should be used as a toner or emulsion. You can take 2-3 drops and then massage by your fingers or take a cotton pad as well. I prefer to use my fingers. We can also add 1-2 drops of the Essence to our foundation or BB creams to create dewy glowing skin. It will make sure the skin looks flawless and stays hydrated from within. Also, we can soak cotton pad in Water Bank Essence and make our own sheet masks.

Laneige Water Bank Moisture Essence Review

My take on the product:

I will start with my overall verdict first. I just loved this product. This has completely changed the texture of my skin within 2 weeks of use. My skin looks dewy with a subtle glow (exactly what I want). My skin texture has become even. I had to achieve this kind of finish with the help of a BB cream previously but this essence has worked wonders on my skin. I feel confident to go out without putting on any make up on my face. So now you know how much I loved it. My skin looks recharged and fresh after I have started using it.

The essence is not too watery. I think the hydro essence is more water based than this one. The moisture essence does not feel like a lotion either. The consistency is between a cream based toner and a lotion. It will not make your skin feel greasy or oily. Gets absorbed very quickly and instantly gives a smooth and even base for you to apply your make-up on.

The only thing that I did not like about it is the presence of fragrance. It smells somewhat like a shampoo :p. Anyway, people with inflammatory skin condition should avoid it. I have read a few reviews before buying it and some of them praised it a lot and some of them did not like it that much. It obviously depends on personal experience but I will definitely buy it again.

Hope you found this review useful. Please keep following the blog. I will be encouraged to write more. Happy Sunday 😀 !!

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Makeup

Nykaa Eyes On Me! 10-in-1 Eyeshadow Palette – Beachside Peach – Review

Nykaa launched the 10 in 1 eyeshadow palette almost around this time last year and I bought the shade beachside Peach. Unfortunately soon after that the entire world went into lockdown and this palette also got locked inside my dresser 😀 Now that slowly everyone is returning to normal, I have also started using makeup and especially eye products to highlight my eyes as most of my face is always covered with mask 😦

So anyway let’s talk about this palette first. There are 5 options available in this range.

Out of these 5, I chose to purchase Beachside Peach as looking at the range I felt I can create soft looks for office wear and also can glam it up for night outs. There is another one that I want to try in future is Sundowner Stunner. Some of the shades are little similar among these 2 options but sundowner stunner will give more dewy natural looks.

Price and Quantity : First of all they are super cheap. Each of these palettes contains 10 shades and they come for only Rs 599. You will have to accept that is really affordable.

Nykaa Eyes on Me 10 in 1 Eyeshadow -Beachside Peach

My take on the product :

  • The packaging is not very sturdy but at this price point we need to forgive them for that. It also contains a two sided applicator.
  • Out of the 10 shades, FIVE are super matte shades,3 of them are little blingy /metallic shades and rest 2 just adds a little bit of coral and peachy shine to your eyes. They are easily buildable and will give you versatile looks. You can easily go from a daytime peachy look to a night time glam look. All the shades are complementary to each other and fall somewhere between peach, beige, copper brown and chocolate brown. The color payoff is up to the mark and easy to blend. So we are not really compromising in terms of quality.
  • Although they are marketed as long wearing (10+ hours), I found them to be fading after 3-4 hours.
  • It is also not tested on animals.

Overall I really liked these palettes and will rate them 4/5. One point deducted as they did not seem to be a long-wear product.

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Makeup, Product Review

Nykaa Glamoreyes Colour Eye Pencil Kajal – Bronze Beam (08) vs SUGAR Kohl Of Honour Intense Kajal – 02 Brown Bag – Review

In my pursuit to find the perfect brown Kohl or Kajal I stumbled upon 2 quite affordable options and tried both of them. Here is my review on Nykaa Glamoreyes Colour Eye Pencil Kajal in shade Bronze Beam and The Sugar Kohl of Honour intense Kajal in the shade Brown Bag.

Price and Quantity : Bronze Beam comes for INR 450 for 1.2gm product and the Sugar Kajal comes for INR 249 for 0.25 gm product.

Description : From subtle to sultry, create an array of eye looks with Nykaa GLAMOReyes eye pencil. Featuring high-impact colors, this smudge-proof and water-proof eye pencil glides on comfortably, without tugging or pulling. The transfer-proof and fade-proof formula keeps the intense color locked down for hours and hours, giving you dramatic, gorgeous eyes round the clock!

My take on the Nykaa GLAMOReyes eye pencil:

  • The color is slightly metallic dark brown with subtle golden undertone. Of course that is why they named it as Bronze Beam. Silly me! I personally do not like metallic eyeliners or kohl and not even metallic lipsticks but this shade did not shout as ‘metallic’ on my eyelids. That’s a relief and hence I liked this shade. It just adds that little amount of shine which makes it look good morning through night. I also use it on my lower lash lines to get a softer look than what I will get using a black kohl.
  • It is completely smudge-proof. I put it on for more than 12 hours and it was completely intact and did not fade even a bit. I had to use make up remover to remove it. The application was smooth with gel eyeliner like finish.
  • The ingredient list says that it is free from animal derived ingredients and paraffin. it is also dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested.
  • The only and biggest con is that the pencil is not retractable and basically we will have to sharpen this which means more wastage 😦

My take on the Sugar Kohl of Honour Kajal:

  • The shade is a beautiful dark matte chocolate brown. The biggest plus point is that it has a retractable packaging. So you basically have to twist it up.
  • The formula has a creamy texture and easily glides on my eyelids. I tested it for 5-6 hours and it did not smudge but definitely faded a bit. The advantage of using brown kajal is that even if it gets smudged a bit it gives a shadow effect on the eyes and did not make the eyes look like a panda. I use it for tight lining my eyes.
  • It is free from parabens and dermatologically tested.
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Favorites

2021 Monthly Favorites- January Edition

I decided to pen down my monthly favorites across various categories e.g. food items, skincare, make-up products, books and even home decor stuffs. So here is a list of my January 2021 favorites.

Looms and Weaves Dry Kerala Ginger powder – I do not take sugar or any artificial sweetener in my tea. It is also little difficult to grate ginger every time I am pouring myself a cup of tea. So this dry ginger powder is a quick fix. I tried spices like cinnamon and cardamom from the this brand called looms and weaves and they were of amazing quality. So, did not hesitate to order the ginger powder from this brand. The flavor and smell feel authentic to me. It is organically grown and free from any preservatives. I bought the 50 gm jar first for just Rs. 140 and then later bought a 100 gm jar for Rs. 230 from Amazon. Sadly, the 50 gm version came in a glass jar but the 100 gm version came in a tin jar but anyway the product does its job. You can also use it for cooking or baking purposes.

Organic India Tulsi Mulethi Tea bags – My entire family loves the Organic India tea because of their health benefits. I have influenced a lot of my friends to buy them and they were pretty happy after using. The Tulsi Mulethi is a new variety that I found on Amazon. You can also get it from Fab India Stores. There are 25 tea bags inside the packet. It is particularly useful for reducing stress and to boost immunity against cough and cold. I just love the aroma and it instantly relaxes my nerves. Definitely worth a try.

Nykaa Own it like Masaba Nail Polish – I bought 2 shades from the Masaba Range of Nail paints in the shades – Savage 293 (color- leafy green) and Unfiltered 292 (color- Teal). I love both of these 2 shades which come for around Rs 199 but I got them at Rs179 for 15% discount which is a pretty good deal. The colors are bright and fun with a glossy finish.

Brown Kajal/kohl Pencil – I tried 2 brown Kohl pencils. Brown Kohls gives a softer look to the eyes as compared to black ones and I prefer to use them for my lower lash lines. So the ones I tried were Nykaa Glamoreyes Color Eye Pencil in the shade Bronze Beam and the Sugar Kohl of Honour Intense Kajal in the shade Brown Bag. The Nykaa Eye pencil comes for Rs 450 for 1.2 gms of product and the Sugar Kohl Pencil comes for Rs 249 for 0.25 gms of product. I liked both of them and will do a detailed review in a separate post.

Books – My current reads are Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely and Calcutta Chromosome by Amitav Ghosh. Predictably Irrational is a book on behavioral Economics and has been a very enjoyable read for me so far. The Calcutta Chromosome is a fictional novel which has been very popular but I didn’t get a chance to read it earlier. I am hoping to complete both of them by next weekend and will share a review soon. I know I really hate to read a book with multiple breaks but my current schedule has been crazy and I even hardly got time to write a blog post here.

So that’s it for today! Have a nice Tuesday 🙂

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Favorites, Product Review, Skincare

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner Review

I got my hands into the Laneige Cream Skin Refiner finally after hearing rave reviews about it. When I first checked out the product on nykaa I was little confused about the ‘Skin Refiner’ part. As per the product description it was written that it is a “Miraculous skin fortifier, deep hydration repairs and strengthens skin barrier. It is a toner with new formula in which a whole bottle of cream is dissolved with safe ingredients to keep the skin hydrated and healthy. Leave your skin moisturized at the first step of your skin care routine with Cream Skin Refiner.” From the description I felt this is a toner but may have a moisturizing effect as well and decided to give it a try. So here is my review of the product.

Price and Quantity: The product comes in 2 sizes. The 150 ml bottle retails for INR 1850 and the 50 ml bottle retails for INR 750. I bought the 50ml one just to try the product first. It comes in a simple translucent white sturdy plastic bottle with a white cap. You just need to simply pour the product on your palm. There is no pump or anything like that; very standard packaging as expected from a toner.

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner
Laneige Cream Skin Refiner

Features:

  • – A two-in-one formula that preps and softens like a toner and moisturizes like a cream
  • – With Cream Blending Technology™ exclusive of Laneige, a jar of cream is dissolved in skin toner
  • – With White Leaf Tea Water having content of amino acid enriched through the specialized shadow-growing method
  • – It strengthens the skin barrier and provides a lasting moisturizing effect
  • – Cream Skin Refiner is filled with mild and safe ingredients which provides moisturizing effects for dry and sensitive skin

Ingredients : Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl- 10 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Disodium Edta, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol.

Laneige Cream Skin Refiner

My take on the product :

  • Price point wise I feel the product is pretty reasonably priced if we compare it to other K-beauty toners.
  • The packaging is on-point. Whenever I think about Laneige packaging all their products are packaged in a way which is user friendly with high quality material and muted yet beautiful colors. Their lip sleeping mask comes in pink tubs, water sleeping mask comes in blue tubs and hence cream skin refiners come in white bottles. No surprise. They want to visually send a message to the customers of their product’s intended usage. I dig that.
  • Now coming to the ingredient list. Obviously I do not have any professional qualification about this but I do check the ingredient list and do my research. The first ingredient is water as this is a water based toner. Their ingredient list mentions Meadowfoam seed oil which acts as an emollient that creates a protective seal over our skin to lock in moisture. It contains butylene glycol which is a Conditioning agent that add a layer of softness or improved texture to our skin. 1,2-hexanediol is used as a synthetic preservative and moisture-binding solvent which creates the clear liquid consistency and also helps to dissolve other substances. This does not contain any nasty chemical like paraben or phthalates.
  • When I first pour the product onto my palm I saw a milky white water like/ runny consistency which is what a toner is supposed be like. I simply applied the toner on my face and pat it dry slowly with my fingers. It got absorbed quickly and instantly my skin felt very moisturized and hydrated as well. This is not exactly how we feel after applying a toner right. This is where the cream skin refiner part is coming into play. It looks like a toner and feels featherlight on skin but leaves the effect of a moisturizer. This product is supposed to work great for normal and dry skin. However, it worked really great for my oily skin in relatively cold and dry weather. Not sure how it will feel in a hot and humid weather though. Laneige claimed to use a whole bottle of cream inside a bottle of toner using their trademark cream blending technology. That sounds scary for someone who has oily skin but it felt absolutely nourishing and hydrating for me without having any greasiness or any discomfort to be precise. This is indeed a magic bottle.
  • Coming to how I added it to my skincare regime, I firstly washed my skin with a cleanser and then applied this toner and after that applied the Laneige water sleeping mask before going to bed. When I woke up my skin looked super glowing and felt moisturized. This toner works great with a night cream or a light moisturizer and it will not make your skin heavy or greasy for sure.
  • Am I going to repurchase this? YES! for sure 🙂 It won my heart.

Hope you found this review useful. Please keep following the blog. Happy Sunday 🙂

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Product Review

Alicia Souza Planner + Mystery Bag – Review

I decided to buy a planner for myself (Finally I know!) after looking at the numerous bloggers and influencers and how they always talk about how useful a planner is in their life. So yeah I got ‘influence’ and bought one for me. All my efforts to read behavioral science books to control my splurging went in vein. Till now my planner was my brain but given that I am 29 and taking more than 2 minutes to remember people’s names; I thought it is high time I maintain a planner and show people how busy I am :p

I have been following Alicia Souza for 4-5 years on Insta and I love her cute and quirky designs. One of her selling point is her relatability and unassuming personal brand. I bought the planner from her website directly. There was an offer going on that if someone buys products worth INR 3000 they will also get freebies(Mystery Bag) worth INR 2500. So I jumped at the offer and bought my first planner along with a few other things. Here I am going to share my reviews of the products I got.

What I bought :

  • The Undated Ultimate Planner with Free Undated Pocket Planner + Sticker Book – INR 1799
  • Happiness Notebook (Hardbound spiral)- INR 350
  • Humming Bird Notebook (Hardbound spiral)- INR 350
  • Savasana Phone Cover

The Planner came in a cute cardboard box as you can see in the pics. I am using the box to keep my knick-knacks. I chose the undated planner because I was not sure how disciplined I will be and hence for proper utilization chose to go for the undated version. What I have understood is that the undated version is very similar to the 2021 planner. So I did not lose much in terms of features. Here is a list of things you will see in the undated planner. Overall the paper quality and usability wise the planner is awesome.

Alicia Souza – Undated Ultimate Planner
  • It has some extra sheets of stickers
  • Monthly Budget and Planning Pages
  • Habit and Period Tracker
  • Shopping list /Task list etc.
  • Space for detailed daily entry and notes
  • Extra pages for notes at the end with folder to store loose papers/cards etc
  • Beautiful Bookmark
  • Colorful Monthly Dividers

The pocket planner is something you carry while travelling/shopping. The notebooks are A5 size and hardbound. In terms of paper quality I expected better for the price I paid. It is not suitable for writing with a gel pen. You will get the impression on the next page. Of course the cover is very cute. The phone cover is something which I really liked. The color looks even better than the picture and it is sturdy.

Alicia Souza Savasana Phone Cover
Humming Bird Notebook (L) and Happiness Notebook (R)

What I got in the Mystery Bag :

  • Things I see in India that are super endearing (Hardbound Journal with 1 sheet of sticker);100 Pages – INR 799
  • PAPA Coffee Mug – INR 399
  • Keep Away Cotton 2 Ply Face Mask – INR 299
  • You are my Rock Magnetic Photo Frame – INR 350
  • I hate that I really Love You Magnetic Photo Frame – INR 350

The ‘Things I see in India Journal’ is part of Alicia’s doodle series posted on Insta. I wish the journal was spiral bound. However, paper quality of the journal is better than the notebooks. The coffee mug was a sweet surprise for my Dad. The Face mask is super cute and made of good quality cotton. The magnetic photo frames are super cute as a fridge magnet but honestly they are too small. Also, I noticed that I received products worth INR 2200 whereas they promised to give products worth INR 2500 but anyway overall I really loved the mystery bag.

Hoping to start 2021 in the right way armed with my planner 🙂

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Product Review, Skincare

My favorite Skincare Products in 2020

2020 has been all about skincare for a lot of us owing to lockdown. I really feel good about this aspect that I became aware of my skin and what it loves and what it doesn’t this year. This is a big achievement for me. I also made some informed decision while buying good skincare products. Thanks to all the research I did this year 🙂

So here is a quick recap or you can say “my recommendations for 2021 skincare products to look out for“ as well. For most of these products I have already posted my reviews in my blog. So I will just post links to the reviews.

Face Mist / Toner: Facial mists are something which I use all the year around; at home, at office, while traveling (obviously before quarantine) especially in summer and even in winter as well for that quick touch of freshness. I prepared a couple of DIY face mists at home which are super easy to make and great for our skin too. Please check the post here and here where I have shared some quick tips. I also loved the  Lavender Mint Facial Spray with clay sage from the brand Urvija.

Face Masks : I specifically used 2 face masks this year. One is from the the brand Plum. I love their Green Tea clear face mask which makes my skin look very smooth and clear instantly . The second one is the Super volcanic pore clay mask from Innisfree. This one is obviously very popular and needs no introduction. While the tea tree face mask costs almost half of the volcanic one but I want to mention that it really makes my skin bright and refreshed after every application. Also, one extra point to Plum for being a Made in India brand as well :p

In this category a special mention to Tony Moly Tightening Cooling Pack (Click on the link to check my review.

Serums: I invested quite a lot on face serums this year. In general I really like the concept of serums. My most liked serum for this year is the Hyaluronic serum from the brand Dot and Key. Absolutely loved how light and refreshing it feels on my skin and also for that glow. I have tried Dot and Key’s other products but this one is hands down the best. A special mention to their Morning awakening serum. Check out my review for it here.

Hand-creams: Tried and tested quite a lot of hand creams. I reach out to my hand cream almost every hour owing to my dry hands. The one and only thing that have worked for me is the Bodyshop shea butter hand cream. Absolutely love the smooth and soft hands it gives me.

Face Lotions/ Moisturizers : Loved the Innisfree jeju Cherry Lotion (a little pricey) and Aroma Magic Juniper oil free moisturizer(very pocket friendly) for their feather light oil free texture.

Sleeping Pack : Two clear winners in this category- Laneige Water sleeping mask and Etude House Moistfull collagen sleeping pack. A special mention to the cult favorite Laneige Lip sleeping mask as well.

Hair Care : Mostly used virgin coconut oil that I bought from Kerala and the Kama Ayurveda Bringadi Intensive Hair Treatment Oil through out the year. This year I started using herbal Henna for the first time. I specifically used the Khadi Natural Nut Brown Henna and the Shahnaz Husain Henna Precious Herb Mix. I will do a separate review on the henna later as I am not using them in winter.

All of these mentioned products are going to be part of my beauty bag in 2021 as well. Hoping to discover some amazing skincare stuff next year as well. Thanks for following the blog!

Merry Christmas 😀

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Product Review, Skincare

Dot and Key Time Reverse Retinol Serum Review

Given the fact that there are not many retinol serums available in Indian market I decided to try the Time Reverse Retinol Serum from the brand Dot and Key. The decision to use retinol serum was based on the numerous great reviews I have got from famous youtubers and bloggers. However, some of the most popular ones are either very expensive or not available in common platforms. I guess Dot and Key is one such brand which is trying to create a lot of different types of serums which have high public demand in India. I have tried their Hyaluronic acid serum and Vitamin C serum and I liked them. Now let’s give you my review on the retinol serum.

Price and Quantity : The product comes in a 30 ml bottle with a dropper and it retails for INR 1195. You can buy the product from Nykaa or from the official Dot and Key website.

Description :

  • This supercharged anti-ageing serum promises a three-pronged action :
  1. Reducing fine lines
  2. Fading dark spots
  3. Enhancing skin’s elasticity.
  • The retinol serum contains Tripeptides and Retinol, that slows down skin ageing by capturing free radicals and promoting collagen regeneration.
  • Infused with a botanical blend of Rosehip, Ylang Ylang & Geranium Oils, and highly moisturizing vitamin E & A

Ingredient List :

Purified Water,Dimethicone (and) Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptied -5, Cyclopentasiloxane (and) Dimethiconol, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol (and) Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxy Ethyl cellulose, Vitamin A Palmitate, Rosehip Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Geranium Oil, Helichrysum Oil, Perfume.

My take on the serum :

Let’s first talk about why we do need retinol. You will find plenty of blogs to understand what Retinol does and why people are going gaga over it. However, I did some digging into actual scientific research papers and found some interesting facts. First of all let’s understand that ageing of skin can be of two types. Chronological ageing is an inevitable process whereas photo ageing is the premature ageing of skin occurring due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation.  Photoaging is the superimposition of photodamage on intrinsically aged skin generally bringing about premature aging. This specific damage occurs by chronic exposure of the skin to UV light. Hence, the skin becomes coarse; epidermis thickens initially and then thins resulting in loss of elasticity. Hence, our skin can experience wrinkles, irregular hyperpigmentation etc. The pores of the skin become larger. Although retinoids show promise in the treatment of skin aging but it can cause irritant reactions such as burning, scaling or dermatitis. Other retinoids mainly represented by retinaldehyde and retinol are considerably less irritating. The importance of retinol (vitamin A) was discovered during World War I. The modern history of retinoids, however, began in 1909 when an essential factor in the fatty extract of the egg yolk, called vitamin A, was discovered. Vitamin A cannot be synthesized by the body; hence it needs to be supplied to the body. Various studies have confirmed that retinol should be effective in the treatment of aging and photoaging. Another research was conducted on usage of retinol with other anti-ageing products and a successful study published that repeated topical application of a preparation containing both retinol and vitamin C could reverse, at least in part, skin changes induced by both chronological and photoaging.

So, before using the product I knew that my skin will take some time to adjust to retinol serums. There will be skin purging or break outs. Thankfully I did not experience any breakout but I experienced dryness and a few bumps here and there. I have been using the product for 4 months now but not everyday. I have limited the usage to twice a week with a 3 -4 days gap. Another important point to note that retinol serums must be used at night as they can react in sunlight. After applying the serum I apply a cote of a light vitamin c based lotion to restore the hydration.

Now coming to the ingredient analysis of this particular product; Dimethicone crosspolymer is a silicone derivative that is used in skincare and cosmetic formulations to improve texture and help condition the skin and hair and it is considered to be safe for skin. Methylsilanol Mannuronate is an anti-ageing agent and is an organic derivative of seaweed that binds moisture in the epidermis therefore firming and strengthening the skin. Palmitoyl Tripeptied -5 is also another known agent for anti-ageing. Vitamin A Palmitate is the source of retinol in this product. They also have added some essential oils like rosehip (known for anti-ageing) and Geranium (to dilute the consistency of serum and also for removing wrinkles). They did not mention the exact percentage of these ingredients in the product.

Because I have this bad habit of rubbing my eyes; I noticed a few lines around my under eyes. Although I used an eye cream/gel separately earlier but they did not remove those lines. I put a small amount of the serum around my eyes and around my lips. These two areas I feel show the early signs of ageing. The serum is little runny and looks transparent. I did not feel any heaviness after applying it. It got absorbed quickly. After using it for the third week I suddenly realized that the fine line that were showing up in my under eye area completely vanished. I should have clicked a before and after picture as a proof but I myself could spot the difference. However, it did not remove any blemishes and I experienced dryness after applying. So may be in winter we need to supplement this serum with hydrating moisturizers. Please note that I did not use any expensive under eye cream in these 3 weeks but used a vitamin c based lotion on my face. That’s it.

I know there are some very good retinol serums but they are crazily high priced. So at this price point I really liked this serum given the result and will continue to use it in future as well. So a few key points I want to reiterate

  • Do not apply retinol serums during daytime
  • Do not use it everyday. Use it at a regular interval.
  • Listen to your skin. If you feel dryness use a natural/organic moisturizer which is hydrating.
  • A break out is common while using retinol products for the first time.

Hope you found this review helpful. Have a nice day 🙂

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Product Review, Skincare

Tony Moly Magic Food Banana Sleeping Pack Review

I have been trying out well known sleeping packs/masks for quite some time. This is actually the 3rd one in that order. Please check out my review on Laneige Water sleeping mask here and Etude House Moistfull Collagen sleeping pack review here. So I bought the Tony Moly Magic Food Banana Sleeping Pack first for their super cute packaging ; second for the 50% discount I got on Nykaa and third obviously because of the quality standard of Tony Moly products.

Packaging : The product comes in a cute banana shaped packaging. The packaging looks super adorable but I really struggled to take out the product out of the tube. It is super hard to squeeze out the product. 85 ml of the product retails for INR 850.However, I got it at INR 425 during a sale in Nykaa. So look out for the sales.

Description :

Hydrate and soothe your skin while you sleep with this nutrient-rich Magic Food Banana Sleeping Pack! Wake up to a supple and brightened face that smells delicious!

Key Ingredients:

  • 10,000 ppm of Banana Extract – Potassium and Vitamin A helps hydrate and protect skin.
  • Milk Protein – Nutrient rich properties help replenish lost moisture in skin.
  • Chamomile Extract – Helps calm and soothe skin.

Full Ingredient List :

Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Beeswax, Petrolatum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, Musa Sapientum (banana) Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Betaine, Urea, Peg-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Fragrance(parfum), Caprylyl Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, 1,2-hexanediol, Disodium Edta, Yellow 5 (ci 19140), Yellow 6 (ci 15985), Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

After Application

My take on the product:

  • Consistency of the product is thick and takes time to get absorbed. It feels heavier on the skin. I have oily skin and I started using it in Winter. So I did not experience any break out but I am not sure how it will feel in hot and humid weather for oily skin. However, this should work well for dry and normal skin.
  • It has a strong smell like banana. Since this is a sleeping pack and supposed to be used before bed I personally don’t like such strong banana smell on my face. It does get fade out after some time.
  • Now coming to the actual result. The skin looks super tight and glossy in the next morning. Did not notice such instant clear result with the other 2 sleeping packs that I tried. So super happy with the results.
  • Am I going to repurchase this? Only in Winters and although I really love their packaging I feel they need to change the tube as it is really hard to squeeze out the product.
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Product Review, Skincare

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Review

When I was very young I used to see my mom applying thick night creams before going to bed and sadly there was no product like a feather light sleeping pack in the market in that time. Luckily our generation has plenty of products to choose from. My first sleeping pack was the Collagen mask from the brand Etude House and I am absolutely in love with it. You can check the review here. However, I wanted to test the Laneige Water sleeping mask because I have heard so many good things about it and love their lip sleeping mask. So I kind of knew I am not going to disappointed with this one as well.

Price & Quantity: It comes in 2 sizes 25 ml and 70 ml. I bought the 25 ml version at a base price of INR 700 and got additional 10% discount on it on Nykaa. The 70 ml version retails for INR 1850. I will recommend to buy the 25 ml version first for trial. Most of the time on Nykaa and on Boddess you will find complimentary deluxe samples if you make a certain amount of purchase.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask -25 ml

Description: Overnight mask that gives the skin the lively well rested appearance the next morning thanks to its sleep-tox purifying effect.

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Alginate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearyl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, HYDROXYPROPYL BISPALMITAMIDE MEA, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Alcohol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, CI 42090

My take on the product:

Now that I have used the moistfull collagen sleeping pack I will review this product in a comparative mode.

  • Price – Price wise Laneige is definitely more expensive.
  • Packaging – Both of them come in cute sturdy tubs. So extra points for hygiene. I would have preferred a tube like packaging.
  • When I compared the ingredient list atleast the first 6-7 ingredients are totally the same. For the moistfull collagen sleeping pack the second ingredient is hydrolyzed collagen which of course Laneige does not use. The 7 th ingredient for Laneige is sodium hyaluronate which is used for restoring moisture of the skin. After comparing the ingredient list I was little surprised because Laneige is quite expensive and I actually can get more or less the same thing at a cheaper price. I might be wrong but I have heard this so many times that only the first few ingredients matter in a skin care product. Rest of them are used in a minuscule quantity.
  • Now coming to the texture. This product is definitely feather light and looks like a gel. Gets absorbed into the skin like magic. Loved the baby blue glossy color of the mask and the soothing aroma. I used it after cleaning my face and applying the night serum. It was the last step of my night time skin care. When I woke up the next morning my skin felt hydrated and soft even in a cold weather in November.

Am I going to repurchase it? Only if Etude House stops the production of their Moistfull Collagen Sleeping pack. Yeah that is my honest answer.

Hope you found this review helpful. Please let me know in comments if you used this sleeping pack and what is your take on it. Happy Sunday 🙂

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