Olay Purifying Mud Lathering Cleanser

I've got a more appropriate (AKA longer) name for this product - Olay Purifying Mud Creamy Lathering Cleanser. ( I added the creamy in the pic too )

With a dry face like mine the only thing I can think of when I read Mud & Lathering is - dryness. With a creamy in between there somewhere it relaxes me a bit. Wont you agree ?

For a long time I relied on Olay Foaming Face Wash For Sensitive Skin to keep my skin happy. I've had some very good skin memories with it and this cleanser follows close behind. Its extremely foaming and foams up fast without stripping what little natural oils I have left on my face. That being said it doesn't necessarily moisturize my skin and I dont expect that of a clenser unless its a oil cleanser. $7.99 is a price I am willing to pay for it. But I'd be grabbing off the shelf if its on sale !

Its quite good at taking off foundation ( Smashbox HD). I don't use it around the eyes - the first time I did , I thought I noticed a bit of drying. Plus may be mud around eyes aint a good idea anyways. Its a very good cleanser but it isnt replacing my mud masks ever ! Those masks exfoliate and loosen up my black heads , y'all !

Have you tried this cleanser ? What was your experience like ? I'm curious to see how well it works on folks with oily skin.

Biore Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator : Review - Its The Refinery !

I have forever, for oh so long, for years together been a big fan of Apricot Scrubs. More specifically The St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It has been my in-shower, twice a week exfoliation guru. A couple of weeks back, I finished another tube of it . So I did what I always do and got my a$$ to the drugstore to replace the irreplaceable Apricot Scrub.

Stop here. When did the Apricot Scrub start costing $7. Where the days when I bought my scrub for $3 or $5 ? I want those days back.

This raise in cost pissed me off and I went about looking for other alternatives. And then my eyes fell on the Biore Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator. I grabbed it and ran.

Ran before the Apricot scrub could see me and give me the sad look. A look of betrayal.

The Biore Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator wasn't any cheaper at $ 14.99 but I told myself - I'd rather pay double the double for a new thing than pay double the old for the same old thing.

Or something like that.

What The New Boy Did

The Microderm exfoliator refines your skin. Trust me. It does not just exfoliate. It eliminates dead skin and leaves your skin feeling shiny. Not the oily shiny but the shine that comes from silky soft skin. I was flabbergasted at the results. My skin is almost reflecting light. Its that smooth ! Where has this been ? Why hasn't anybody told me about it. Why arnt the blogs buzzing about this drugstore gem ??

Why ? Why ? Why ?

Is it worth the $14.99 ? Was it a good substitution for my Apricot Scrub ?

Yes and yes ! Though I terribly miss the lovely scent of the apricot scrub, I love the change. I think it is good to change up your routine once in a while. Even if it is once in a long while. We are talking four years or more, people.

However I do have a couple of things to add. The Biore exfoliator has really teeny tiny micro beads and plenty of them. So I'd be gentle with the scrubbing. Even more so if you have sensitive skin. Something about scratching the surface of the skin.

On my nose however I gave it a good scrub to get rid of black heads, white heads and gunk in general. It worked very well ! I needed very little for one use so I am sure it will last a while. Also I plan on using it only twice a week in the shower given the refining effect. I don't want to peel off way too much.

Price - $14.99
Purchase - CVS, Walgreens
Purpose - Exfoliating and Refining Face Scrub with Micro beads
Position

In Other News...

Hilarious Story !

So remember when I showed you how I keep my shower product free and instead keep them in a product bin next to the shower ?

The closet in my bathroom suddenly got infested with ants . So, the pest control guy came over to destroy the ants and clean up the mess. After he sprayed the pesticide, killed the pests, he gathered the ants onto a pan and dumped it into - you guessed it - into my PRODUCT BIN !!!!!!!!!

Hahaha. I was too shocked and too overcome with laughter to say anything. I am still smiling thing about it....

Love,
Indian Girl

Anokha Skin Care Almond Cleansing Milk : Review

Remember my super awesome Creamy Almond Walnut Mask ?

Also remember I told you I found a very good cleanser to take the place of my beloved Korres Cleansing Foam ?

Now, put the two thought together and you get this - The luxurious Almond Cleansing Milk from Anokha Skincare.

About Anokha

Anokha is the brainchild of Dr. Nina Naidu, a New York based plastic surgeon. Dr. Naidu combined modern knowledge with traditional South Asian ingredients like lotus, neem, turmeric, almond, jasmine, honey, sandalwood to create Anokha, which represents the best of both the old and the new.

Anokha Skin Care’s products are free of artificial coloring, artificial fragrances, petroleum, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate. They are safe for use by pregnant and lactating women.

Almond Cleansing Milk

If you know me, you know I cannot resist hearing about natural ingredients, especially South Asian natural ingredients and not give it a try.

I just have to. Its my only OCD quirk.

Well, that and something to do with Krispy Kreme. But that's another story for another time.


I've been using the Cleansing Milk for over three weeks now which is a fair amount to time to progress from indecisive, in between to like and love a product. But with this one I went straight to the I Like It phase.

Its All About Balance

The Almond Cleansing Milk is a creamy but runny cleanser. The balance between cleansing and moisturizing is great. Unlike several other cleansers for dry skin it does not fill my face with slimy moisture. Instead it cleans and just keeps the natural oils intact, leaving my skin feeling soft and supple. This is my go-to early morning cleanser. Its always good to start your day with a bit of luxury coz God knows how the rest of the day is going to pan out.

Bit Of A Luxury, You See

The $25 price tag is steep but then again it is a boutique brand. Nothing is mass produced and one is assured of the quality that comes with producing things in small batches. I did get 1. oz more than my Korres cleanser and it was cheaper by $2. But yes, the price still seems high. Overall, I'd call it a refined version of my Creamy Almond Walnut Mask with milk instead of yogurt and no walnuts. An excellent cleanser for dry/ sensitive skin. With the fall coming around its time to start preventing those dry spots on the cheeks !

Price - $25 (6.5 oz)
Purchase - anokhaskincare.com
Purpose - Cleansing milk for dry skin
Position - In Other News ...
OMG it must be Fall !! All my favorite shows are back !

What shows are you following ? I am all over House, Brothers and Sisters, Gray's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory from the oldies. And from the new ones Glee, Cougar town and Flash Forward. Gossip Girl is now out of my list coz its gotten a bit boring for me. I am really tired of Serena doing stupid things to get her father's attention and everybody acting like they don't read magazine or newspapers.

And then there is Jon Stewart. I love the man with all my heart.
Or is it hearts ?
Lots and lots of red hearts...

What about you ? What shows are you religiously following ?

Love,
Indian Girl

Korres Materia Herba Toning Cleansing Foam : Review

Its over.

I finished it.

I am mourning the finished product.

Or is that product finished ?

Point is - its over.

The Korres Materia Herba Toning Cleansing Foam is the best foaming cleanser I have ever used. And given my infatuation with foam, I have tried plenty of them.


95 - 100 % Natural

The Materia Herba line from Korres is their new organic line. All products in this line are 95 - 100 % Natural. For the past few months I have mostly stuck to organic / natural cleansers and that seems to have a very positive effect on my skin. My friend who was visiting India for a few months and hadn't seen me all this while, told me recently about how she thought my skin looked great ! She has been telling me about it during every conversation we've had since her return ! I personally see something good happening but can't point a finger at what exactly. Either ways I am happy about my switch to organic / more natural cleansers.

Foam For Dry Skin ! Only, Not Cheap

Most often foaming cleansers are kept away from people with dry skin. But not at Korres - thank God.

I have dry skin and I love foam.

Organic Foam.

Cheap Organic Foam

But at $27 it is not cheap. That being said it is organic and it is Korres. The beautiful bottle served me for over three months making it $9 a month which seems okay. Also not to forget how well it served my skin. Unlike most of the other foaming cleansers I had absolutely no dryness or tightening of skin that comes from being dry. It also does a very good job at taking makeup off and cleansing in general.

Price - $27 ( 5.07 fl. Oz )
Purchase - korresusa.com
Purpose - Organic Foaming Cleanser For Dry to Normal Skin
Position Overall I am sad its over. But it was great as long as it lasted - three months. Which in cleanser years is very good. But then I am not wearing all black clothing, black hat and black netting over my face because I found another equally great natural product and its pulling me through my loss like a champ.

Will tell soon but let today belong to my Materia Herba Cleanser , please.

Thank you.

Love,
Indian Girl

Aveda Enbrightenment Skin Care : Review

A lot of you were excited to learn that I was testing out the new Enbrightenment line from Aveda ! It is super nice when my readers are looking forward to a certain post ! Guess you guys are just as excited as I am by the possibility of a " brighter face " ! This will be a detailed post on the line and my experience with it . Read on...


What is Enbrightenment ?

The new Enbrightenment Skin care line from Aveda is a four-step daily regimen plus twice-weekly masque that's infused with powerful plant actives to diminish the appearance of dark spots and discolorations and improve skin’s visible clarity. The products in this line are clinically proven to perform in just eight weeks with most participants seeing a 34% reduction in the appearance of discoloration/dark spots and 52% improvement in visible clarity. So, those are the stats.

What are the products in the Enbrightenment line ?

The Enbrightenment skincare line includes:
• Enbrightenment Brightening Cleanser
• Enbrightenment Brightening Treatment Toner
• Enbrightenment Brightening Correcting Serum
• Enbrightenment Brightening Correcting Lotion
• Enbrightenment Brightening Correcting Creme
• Enbrightenment Brightening Intensive Massage Masque

What can we expect from it ?

• Brightens using a process that reduces the appearance of pre-existing dark spots by breaking them down through exfoliation.
• Helps prevent new dark spots and discoloration with anti-oxidants which help fight free radical oxidation.
• Soothes skin and reduces irritation that can lead to dark spots.
• Illuminates skin with Aveda’s proprietary, plant-derived Skin Brightening Blend.

Cast of Characters :

100% Naturally-Derived Skin Brightening Blend—soothes skin and diminishes the appearance of dark spots with a proprietary blend of scutellaria (a perennial herb), mulberry root and grape extracts.
Ascorbyl glucoside (Vitamin C)—a protective antioxidant that brightens skin and helps diminish the appearance of dark spots and discoloration.
Glucosamine—aids in moisturization; smoothes and exfoliates for a more even skin tone. Derived from plant biofermentation.
Brown algae—helps diminish the appearance of dark spots and discoloration for a more even tone.
Naturally-derived salicylic acid—derived from oil of wintergreen; exfoliates skin for a more even skin tone.
Organic shea butter — hydrates, protects and repairs skin’s moisture barrier.
Rosemary leaf extract — an anti-irritant and antioxidant to soothe and protect skin.
Sodium hyaluronate — aids in hydration, protecting and restoring moisture barrier. Derived from plant biofermentation.
Organic aloe vera leaf extract — soothes skin and acts as an anti-irritant.

My Experience :

I was very interested in trying this line, mostly because my face lacks luminosity. My issue is not with pores or acne but with a lack of overall clarity and unevenness of skin tone. I have been testing out these products for almost four weeks now . The total time recommended is eight weeks at least. However, I have plenty to share on what my skin looks like after four weeks. I see my face everyday , so really all I could tell was that I look a lot more brighter overall. The shallowness in the skin tone is definitely missing and my features look a lot more prominent. This is what I noticed. Without sharing any details on my regime , I asked my friends on what they saw. The unanimous decision was that the redness on my face had drastically reduced; especially on my cheeks. I am over the moon about it ! It is not very often you see products doing stuff they talk about as far as brightening goes. But this line is amazing ! It feels great to see visible results in half the time !

My Enbrightening Routine & Low Down On The Products

Morning, I wash my face with the Brightening Cleanser, follow it up with the Correcting Serum. I am not a toner person so I didn't go for it. It is recommended to follow the cleanser with the toner. At night, I wash with the same cleanser and follow with the Correcting creme. Sometimes I apply the serum after the cleanser on areas that could use some extra help like my chin, sides of the nose. Then I follow it up with the correcting creme. I used the masque only once a week although the recommended usage is twice a week.


The cleanser was my most favorite product from this line. It is truly brightening. The texture is in between a creme and foam cleanser. It comes in a tube and we can take out as much or as little as we want. It cleans my face super thoroughly without drying. This has replaced my favorite garnier cleanser for sure. I have been using the garnier one for over four years now so that's saying something about this !


The Correcting Serum is my second favorite product. It is light, yet heavily moisturizing (I know it sounds weird...that's the best way to explain it) Works great under makeup and has obviously done to my face what it had to do. I used the Correcting Cream as a night cream. It is heavy and there is no way I could wear it during the day without having a box of blotting sheets next to me. I should also mention that it has a stronger scent than the rest of the products in this line. The Intense Massage Masque is like a hydrating masque. You apply, wait for 5 - 10 minutes and wipe it off. Not wash it off, but wipe it off. Somehow I get a feeling this masque did not do much in terms of brightening but was a wonderful hydrating masque.

That's it ! The low down on Aveda's Enbrightenment and my wonderfully enbrightened face ! I really wanna keep up with the eight weeks routine but am itching to try the RX for Brown products. I cant tell you HOW MANY emails I get from women , especially desi women asking me for recommendations on skin brightening products. If you are looking for products to bring about a more clear complexion, reduce some discoloration or just an overall brightness , like me then you should check this stuff out !

That cleanser...oooh - Hot Stuff ! Did I mention the ingredients in the line are 99.7 % naturally derived ! That's exactly how natural I am - 99.7 %. This is so weird. We are bff's, y'all !

Love,
Indian Girl