Tag Archives: Indian beauty brands

Product Review, Skincare

Sadhev Aloe vera and Saffron Gel Review

My recent inclination towards Natural or Ayurvedic beauty products made me discover an Indian luxury Ayurvedic brand from the majestic land of Kerala. Sadhev was launched in 2019. In their own words, all their products are “infused with precious insights from traditional Ayurveda, delicately blended with pure ingredients, sourced responsibly and carefully from Sadhev’s own 80-acre sustainably grown organic sanctuary- Sadhevana in South India.”

Sadhev offers an exciting range of Face care, Hair care and body care products. The most amazing part is that all their products are “natural, vegan, cruelty-free, plant-based, free from petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, sulphates, synthetic colours, artificial fragrances, additives and other synthetic substances.” They source most of their natural ingredients either from their own 100% organic firm or in a sustainable way from other exotic locations. Their packaging is made in a way to preserve the bio potency of the ingredients.

In this post, I will review Sadhev’s Aloe Vera and Saffron Gel with Kumkumadi Tailam.

Price

Sadhev Aloe Vera and Saffron gel with Kumkumadi Tailam comes in 3 sizes. The 15 gm tub costs Rs 375, the 50gm tub costs Rs 1100 and the 100 gm one costs Rs 1950. I bought the trial version of 15gm at first. The pricing of course put the product in a luxury brand category for the Indian market but if you really want great quality chemical-free products for your skin, then this price makes sense. Also, they are sometimes on a 5-10% discount on the Nykaa website. So, you can buy it from there as well. Another option is to buy a refill pack of 100gm which costs Rs 1650. This is again a thoughtful attempt towards sustainability.

Description

I got to know from Sadhev’s website that they came up with the aloe vera and saffron gel after getting inspired by Mughal empress Nur Jahan’s secret rich beauty ingredients like Saffron and the Green Aloe Vera that grew in her royal gardens.

My Take on the Sadhev Aloe Vera and Saffron Gel

Ingredients

I love using aloe vera gel all year round. One of my favourite Aloe Vera gel is from Tony Moly. Primarily in summer I sometimes use only aloe vera gel as a moisturizer and don’t put anything else on my face. It contains vitamins C and E and is known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It works for all skin types. Sadhev’s product has added a nice twist to the otherwise popular aloe gel by adding saffron sourced from the valley of Kashmir. Saffron contains an active compound known as Crocin which has antioxidant properties. It protects against UVA rays and fights inflammation/redness of the skin. The most amazing thing is that I could actually see the saffron strings in this product.

They have added ‘Kumkumadi Tailam’ which is basically saffron oil. It used to be this miraculous elixir in the Indian mythological scripts describing the skincare routines of the queens. This is known for healing wounds. However, as per recent studies, for oily/combination/sensitive skin people, this oil may cause acne. They use 50mg of Kumkumadi Tailam in each 10 gm of their product. In my personal experience, I did not find this product to be greasy at all and it did not cause me any breakout.

This product use preservatives like undecylenoyl glycine, capryloyl glycine and benzoic acid. It also contains perfum and natural oil in their base.

Texture

It has a light and airy formulation. You can compare the texture to widely popular gel-based moisturizers like Clinique Moisture Surge or Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel. I can easily use it in hot and humid weather. It does not make my skin oily but I don’t go all out as I do for my other aloe vera gels. I treat it like a face moisturizer and just put 4 dots around my face, partly because it is quite expensive and partly because it contains saffron oil.

Did I notice any benefits?

Yes I did. The texture of my skin became super smooth and soft after using this. Also, it gave my skin a very radiant glow which I usually notice only when I use Niacinamide based serums. I do not have any acne at the moment. So I can’t comment anything on its acne healing properties but it definitely did not cause me any breakout. So far I have only used it in summer and it kept my skin hydrated throughout the day. I usually spray the Kama Ayurveda Rose toner on top of it and it keeps the moisture locked.

What I did not Like

One thing that bothered me was that they use perfum/fragrance. Saffron already has a very distinctive smell, so, I don’t understand the need for using additional fragrance even if it is natural fragrance derived from essential oils. The perfum did bother my sensitive nose. This is why I don’t use it before bed because strong scent troubles my sleep. Also, both artificial and natural fragrance can be drying for skin and may cause irritation in the long run.

Overall I liked the Sadhev Aloe Vera and Saffron Gel for its efficacy but I did not like the fact that they use ‘perfum’ in their natural base.

Hope you found this review helpful. If you have used this product, please let me know what you liked or disliked in the comments section.

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Fragrance, Product Review

Pahadi Local Ayu X Pahadi Local Rose Oil – Review

My recent trek to Bhrigu Lake in Manali got me introduced to a lot of really good quality natural products and I also got to know about this brand called ‘Pahadi Local’ that offers a range of products directly sourced from the Himalayas, consisting of body oil, face oil, face masks etc. They are a brand based out of Himachal Pradesh but their products are available on their website, Nykaa and even on Amazon. I really wanted to try as many products as possible to test the luxurious natural goodness infused in all of their products and hence, picked up a few. In this post, I am going to do a review of their Rose oil which I absolutely loved.

Ayu X Pahadi Local Rose Oil

Price and Quantity: You can say that Pahadi Local’s products fall in the semi-luxury range. It is not too out of budget but not exactly pocket friendly as well. The rose oil comes in a 10ml roll-on variant and it retails for INR 575.

Packaging: The rose oil comes in a glass roll-on bottle which is very travel friendly. I can throw it in my purse or just slide it inside my pocket. When I first received the product, there was a little bit of leakage. I think the bottle cap was not appropriately locked but now it works fine.

Product Description ( as mentioned on the website): The pure goodness of damask roses is distilled into a bottle as a tribute to this fabled bloom. Traditionally associated with mystical qualities that nurture the heart, offering protection and infinite love, Ayu x Pahadi Local Rose Oil can be a very calming and beautiful ritual to end your beauty routine, both am and pm.

Features:

  • Fragrant rose oil that feels calming to the senses
  • Enriched with the goodness of rose oil
  • Can be used during day or night
  • Suitable for all skin types

My take on the Ayu x Pahadi Local Rose Oil:

  • This rose oil smells amazing. The fragrance is quite long-lasting; some may feel it is a bit strong. Whenever I wore it, people around me could smell it. Now for some people who are really sensitive, I would recommend trying it first. Unfortunately, they do not have a trial version. So, it can be tricky if you spend the money and do not like the product.
  • I personally feel that it has a very calming effect on my nerves. I apply it behind my ears in the evening and go for a walk and I feel very relaxed. Be mindful of the quantity you are using because the entire house starts smelling like rose instantly 😀
  • Price wise I find it reasonable because one bottle will go a long way but I only wish they release some sort of a tester which will allow people to test the strength of smell and then purchase it.

Please let me know if you have tried this rose oil and your take on this in the comments section. Have a nice day 🙂

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Makeup, Product Review, Skincare

Plum E-Luminence Simply Supple Cleansing Balm – Review

I was looking to buy a cleansing balm for removing my makeup easily. I found the one by Clinique which has great reviews but is quite expensive. The entire cleansing balm concept is still pretty new to me. So, I wanted to try a budget-friendly cleansing balm first and came across the Plum E-Luminence Simply Supple Cleansing Balm recently. Although this product has been on the market for quite some time, I did not get a chance to try it till now. So, here is my honest review on the Plum cleansing balm.

Price and Quantity: The cost of a 90 gm tub is INR 545 but you will find it at a good discount along with a few freebies from Plum either on Nykaa or at the Plum website 🙂

Key Ingredients:

  • Kokum Butter: A solid emollient brimming with micro-nutrients that not only prevent drying of skin but also reduce degeneration of skin cells thereby keeping your skin supple and deliciously healthy (Kokum isn’t just good for juice, you know)
  • Sunflower Seed Oil: Aside from being a rich source of vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, with its anti-inflammatory and calming properties helps soothe the skin and improves its moisture retention capacity to give soft, supple, hydrated skin.
  • Shea Butter: Shea is extremely hydrating, and at the same time, conditioning and non-sticky.

Full Ingredient List: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Aqua, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soy Polyglycerides, C15-23 Alkanes, Glyceryl Monostearate, Silica, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Synthetic Wax,Tocopheryl Acetate, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Seed Butter, Coco Glucoside, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 26100, Argania Spinosa(Argan) Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance

My take on the Plum Cleansing Balm:

  • The cleansing balm comes in a plastic tub with a lid. There is a small plastic spatula that comes with this to help scrap the product of the tab. This makes the process of taking out the product quite easy and hygienic.
  • The product has a thick waxy texture. In the beginning, I was quite disappointed with the texture because it appeared to be too thick and a bit grainy. It felt too harsh to put on my face and then massage it to spread out evenly. There were small granules getting stuck on my face. I expected this cleansing balm to be softer. However, later I realized that I am using it all wrong. I am supposed to scoop out a little product on my palm and it will soften up with my body temperature. Then I should apply it to my face. I have never used a cleansing balm before and so it took me a while to figure out the best way of using this product. However, I still noticed that a few small granules of the balm are very hard to melt and they get stuck to my face.
  • The product has a baby pink colour and a subtle fragrance. I wish they got rid of the fragrance. There are a lot of oils and butter in it to help melt all the makeup easily. Once I massage it evenly on my face, I let it sit for a while and then wash it off with water. Even after washing it leaves my skin very oily. If you just wash with water or remove the balm with a wet cotton pad, you will not feel very refreshed and the skin may feel sticky due to the excessive oil. So, I double-cleanse my face with face wash. I have noticed it removes all the lipstick stains with long hours stay claims, cleans my pores, and removes eyeliner and waterproof mascara pretty well. But, make sure to wash your eyes thoroughly with clean water. Otherwise, this oily cleansing balm will give you blurry vision for at least half an hour. This cleansing balm did not give me any allergic reaction or break-outs. Overall, I was not super impressed with the product but did not hate it as well. In future, I will try the cleansing balms from other brands as well.

Let’s list down all the pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Pocket friendly
  • Cleanse all the makeup residue pretty easily
  • Does not dry out the skin.

Cons:

  • Contains fragrance
  • I have not tried other cleansing balms, so cannot compare but I felt the texture is very thick and grainy and that is why it takes quite a lot of time to melt completely.

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

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Makeup, Product Review

Lakme Absolute Undercover Gel Face Primer – Review

Hello!

I wanted to post a quick review of a few of my makeup favourites recently and so I wanted to start with a primer. I actually have been using the Lakme absolute undercover gel face primer for almost a year now and never really wrote a full review on this amazing primer. I picked it up while travelling from a store but it turned out to be a great purchase. A good primer prepares our faces as a perfect canvas to put on additional layers of makeup like foundation or a concealer. It simply creates a smooth base.

Price and Quantity: A 30gm tube costs INR 800 but there is a mini-trial version available too. One tube will go a long way because you will need a pea-sized amount for your entire face.

Product Description:

  • Smooth Gel Texture – create a smooth base for easy makeup application.
  • Enriched with Vitamin E – a Unique formula that nourishes skin for an added glow.
  • Lasting Makeup effect – ensures that your makeup stays on for long hours.

My take on the Lakme undercover gel primer:

  • Let’s start with the packaging first. The primer comes in a sleek black tube with a metallic twist cap. It is travel-friendly packaging and there is no need to worry about the product packaging.
  • The texture of this undercover primer is simply like a translucent soft gel. It has a slightly creamy texture to it which is really easy to blend into the skin. It blends instantly into the skin and with just a pea-sized amount you will be able to cover your entire face. I have seen for a couple of other primers that they have a slightly grainy texture and while blending into the face they kind of get dried up. That is surely not the case with Lakme absolute undercover gel primer. It does not make my skin dry. In fact, it leaves a silky velvety finish on my skin which makes it really easy to layer up with a foundation later.
  • Now let’s talk about its function. This primer makes my skin look very smooth with an even complexion. You can say that it almost does a double job of a concealer. It blurs the dark spots on my face. Lakme also has another primer called the blur perfect makeup primer with the same packaging and at the same price point. I am not sure what is the differentiating point between these two because the undercover gel primer also creates that blurry impact on my skin. Specifically, I love the fact that it blurs the open pores around my nose.
  • I have oily skin and this primer instantly covers my oily T zone and yet it does not make my skin dry. This gel primer simply gives a very matte look. I will advise using a normal moisturizer before applying this primer for people with dry skin.

Let’s list down all the pros and cons of the Lakme undercover gel primer

Pros:

  • Provides a very smooth finish
  • Blurs dark spots and open pores
  • Blends very easily
  • Controls excess oil
  • Reasonable price

Cons:

  • It may make the skin appear very dry for people with a dry skin

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

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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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