My February Blisscovered Box

I am back from a vacation and I feel as if there is so much pending that I'll need another vacation after I am done with them LOL! My blog posts are pending, cleaning my house is pending, stuffing my fridge with new groceries is pending and well work in office is pending as well :P

Talking about pending posts, I guess it's better late than never and so I am finally and I guess the last person to post about her February Blisscovered Box :P LOL! :D As I already told you all before, these are the products that I received in this month's box:
1. Chambor Stay-On Waterprrof Pencil in Navy Blue
2. H20+Spa Sea Salt Hydrating Body Butter
3. Omved Tired Foot Soak
4. CK Shock One
5. Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener

The products like I mentioned before didn't really excite me and well for one I would have loved to receive the Chambor Eye Shadow Trio rather than the pencil. But then that's my luck :P The perfume sample, CK SHock One was too strong for me as I prefer more understated and subtle fragrances. The H20+ body butter was surprisingly pretty drying for me even in Mumbai's humidity! But in all fairness I am quite excited to try out the Omved Foot Soak and the Shiseido skin softener :)

What I really liked about Blisscovered was their personal touch in everything. The note with my name, my name on the product info sheet and even mentioning "ISimplyLoveMakeUp" on my address totally blew me away :) I mean I hadn't mentioned my blog to them but they still took pains to find out and print it on my address :) Thank You Blisscovered! :D Just because of this gesture I shall be ordering the March box as well :P

Auravedic Facial Skin Repair Moisturizing Lotion Review

Pollution, dirt and mistakes in daily diet routine make our skin look dull, lifeless and aged. To recover from all these skin issues, we need a good nourishing skin repair lotion. It should nourish our skin, penetrate deeper and work to clarify the skin issues. Today, I am reviewing a Facial Skin Repair Moisturizing lotion from Auravedic. We have already seen the review of Pulpy almond honey face wash from this brand and this is my second using product from them. I am so much impressed of this product at first sight for the "Skin Repair" claim. Who doesn't like their skin to be perfect? So, I have been using this cream for past few days and now comes my review.

Auravedic Facial Skin Repair Pure Nourishing Moisturizing Lotion 

Price: Rs. 200 for 100 ml

Shelf Life: 2 years

Ingredient List

Kokum butter, Mango butter, Beeswax, Sunflower Olive Oil, Almond oil, Grape seed extract, Olivem 1000, Oilwax, Neroli Oil, Purified water, Phenoxyethanol.

Claims of the Product

Auravedic's unique blend of nourishing bio-actives assists the skin's natural process of regeneration to help restore it's elasticity and suppleness while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. The lotion is easily absorbed and deeply penetrating.

Usage Instructions

Gently massage onto face & neck until completely & thoroughly absorbed. Use 2-3 times day or night.

My Views and Ratings

The Packaging

This product comes in a thick transparent plastic bottle with a press type inner lid and a silver coloured screw cap. The cap is stiff, hence this becomes travel friendly. And it would be easier for you to find how much product is left inside because of its transparency. I think you need to put a hole in the center of the inner lid in order to take the lotion out. I feel it a bit tricky and expecting some more easier packaging from Auravedic like tubes or squeeze types. Thank god it's not a tub! Hygienic bottle it is!

4/5

Colour, Consistency and Fragrance

The lotion is milk white in colour with a normal to runny consistency and smooth texture. To say about the fragrance, really I can't express it properly. It's a bit floral, bit herbal and a bit medicinal too. The fragrance is not fruity or sweet but still it has a bearable natural smell. Sensitive noses may feel a bit heavy but the smell gets milder few minutes after the application.

3.9/5

                                         

Lotion on my hand

                                      
                                                              

Texture of the lotion

                                                                   

After Applying

How it works on Me

I squeezed a bit of lotion in my palm, dotted it all over my facial skin and started to massage. The lotion got absorbed quickly without leaving much greasy feel(but oily skins may feel a bit greasier) and it also doesn't leave any whitish caste over my facial skin. After few minutes, the greasy feel and the fragrance vanished. Then my skin felt so soft, smooth and nourished!  With regular use, it made my pores tighten and also helped in improving the texture of my skin. This is what I experienced with this facial skin repair lotion. As I don't have any wrinkles or fine lines, I can't say about this part but my aunt who used this felt it helps her wrinkles too. So, I guess it has anti aging properties also. Overall, I would say that it's a great pick for dry skins, normal skins (Night usage is best) and I don't think this will work on oily skins. The lotion doesn't break me out and doesn't give me any other side effects. It does what it claims because I really saw a good improvement over my skin's texture. Worth a try!

4.5/5

PROS

1. Smooth texture which spreads easily over the skin.
2. Contains natural ingredients like almond oil, olive oil and kokum butter.
3. It is mentioned on the pack to use it 2-3 times a day, so I guess it's too light and natural over facial skin.
4. No side effects. No break outs.
5. Comes in a economical price for the good quantity.
6. Tightens pores and improves the softness and elasticity of the skin.
7. Works as a great moisturizer for dry skins. 
8. Keeps skin nourished for long hours even though the texture is so light.
9. No animal testing :D :D
10. A single bottle lasts really long as a tiny squeeze of lotion is enough for the whole face and neck. So, I would say it as an affordable buy.

CONS

1. Not for oily skins as it may give a slight oily feel. I am not sure about it, you can still try this lotion in dry winters.
2. Packaging can be little improved. (Can't be taken a con, because it comes in a very hygienic bottle)
3. The fragrance can even be little milder. So that sensitive noses will feel it good. 

My Recommendation: A big yes for dry skins, normal skins and matured skins. It retains the skin's elasticity as it claims. Also acts as a great moisturizer for extremely dry skins. Not a must product for oilies, yet do try it in dry winters.

Overall Rating: 4/5 

Will I repurchase?: Sure! :) In winters and springs. A single bottle lasts really long though.

Product sent by PR for reviewing purposes. But all my opinions remain honest.

Privacy Policy

At http://marcoshirohige.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://marcoshirohige.blogspot.com/ and how it is used. For that following outlines our privacy policy.

• We will identify the purpose of the information we collect is.
• We will collect and use of personal information solely with the objective of fulfilling those purposes specified by us and for other compatible purposes, unless we obtain the consent of the individual concerned or as required by law.
• We will only retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
• We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with the knowledge or consent of the individual concerned.
• Personal data should be relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used, and, to the extent necessary for those purposes, should be accurate, complete, and up-to-date.
• We will protect personal information by reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
• We will make readily available to customers information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
• We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. Our advertising partners include, but are not limited to, Google. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about these practices, used by Google, or to opt out of having cookies set on your system, please visit Google’s Ad and Content Network Privacy Policy page.

We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with these principles in order to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained.

Kim Taeyeon SNSD

The real ins and outs of planning a wedding ; The Gossip!

I thought with it being Valentines Day this month it might be nice for Laura to do something a bit different with her guest post this month! Rather than updating about her wedding planning, instead she has answered a few questions regarding hers and Rob's relationship. It's quite refreshing to hear the answers to these questions from real couple :)

1. How did you and Rob meet?
We met in a club through mutual friends but didn't get together for a while after that. We met up as friends in the first instance which progressed to more later on.

2. How did Rob propose?
We were on a short break in Yorkshire, and we went on a walk to Highforce waterfall (it's beautiful if you ever fancy a trip there! He kept trying to get me to go down onto the rocks (I wasn't having any of it - I had my good shoes on!). As we decided to leave, he got down on one knee in front of the waterfall and proposed. He later told me he wanted to do it on the rocks... felt a bit guilty after that!

3. What is it you love the most about Rob?
What I love most about Rob is that he accepts me for ME. He knows I'm grouchy, occasionally clingy, a bit insecure but he still puts up with it! He's also everything I'm not... patient, relaxed. We make a good team.
(Amen to that, that's real love! Sometimes it's not about massive romantic gestures but just finding someone who accepts you for who you really are!)

4. You say you're not a particularly romantic couple but aside from proposing, what would you say has been the sweetest/most romantic/nicest thing he's done for you and you've done for him?
I'm not romantic in the slighest, but I'd say that the nicest thing I've done for him is buy him an Xbox. It was a totally extravagent gift that we really couldn't afford, so I saved for a year and he got it as a birthday pressie. Perhaps not romantic for some, but he was very surpised! He does lots of lovely things for me, I couldn't choose just one. He's very good at buying diamonds for gifts, I have quite a collection now. He gets lovely thoughtful charms for my bracelet too - each one tells a story. Obviously the proposal is the most romantic thing ever though.

5. What does romance mean to you?
Romance is a tough one to describe... I'm quite happy with a mini break where we can spend quality time together without distractions of the 'real' world...

6. When did you realize that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Rob?
I knew from early on that I loved him and didn't want to be without him. Although marriage has never been a big issue for me, when I had to leave to go and finish my final semester at university it made me realise that I didn't want to have to do it again.

7. How lucky do you feel that you have found the right person?
You hear stories and see the heartbreak of people whose relationships don't work out and you feel incredibly lucky that you've managed to find the right person. We have our downs... but we have more ups and long may it continue!

8. Do you have a list and if so who's on it? (Aka a list of 5 celebs Rob would allow you to sleep with if you ever met them :P)
No, no lists! I don't like to tempt fate... besides, he's too honest I don't think he could go through with it!

9. After the wedding, what do you think the next step will be of yours and Rob's relationship?
After the wedding we plan to go on as many holidays as we can afford and spend our time how we want to - travelling, progressing our careers, spending time together. If children happen, they happen but it's not in our plans at the moment... we like our lazy days too much!

10. When was the first time you said the L word to each other?
 It was me who said the L word first! We were still not really dating properly - we had a 'courtship' period of about 6 months where we didn't want to / weren't ready to commit to a relationship but didn't want to be apart from each other. Rob said it back though, phew!

 The real ins and outs of planning a wedding by the future Mrs Burke

Updates from Mumbai :)

Hello yellow to all my friends... Let me first say that i really really miss you all... Sighhhhh.. "yeh dooriyaan" :P LOL... Also, I miss my laptop, which I very "dumbly" left at home in Pune and I miss posting on my blog :( Somehow my camera isn't liking my parent's computer and so it refuses to transfer pictures to it... So the pictures that I took of my Blisscovered Box, of the Mumbai Bloggers Meet and most importantly of my haul cannot be flaunted and I'll need to wait till tomorrow night to post them and share it with you guys... But I'll give you a short description till then :)

Mumbai Blogger's Meet
Four of us met up... Jinal, Preetha, Jyoti and I :) The others gave is "dhokha" :(  We met as if we were friends since eternity and as if we meet almost every week! Everyone knew everything about everyone. Awesome isn't it? :) And the best part is we ended buying the same "jhatak" pink lipstick from Inglot... All four of us :) Ok about the haul... We rather I hauled at Inglot, Colorbar, MUFE and Kiehl's yay yay yay! But I think the maximum fun we had was at MUFE cause the SA was just fantastic, very patient and ultra helpful. Ok yeah he was a guy and I think guys somehow give better makeup advise. No offense to anyone really cause the girls at Inglot were just terrible! :( Rude and mean :( Siiiggghhhhh... But then I love the girls at MAC so then I guess I am contradicting myself :P
I am in love with Mumbai all over again :)

My Blisscovered Box
Well the contents aren't really a surprise to anyone... I got what almost everyone got... Just that I would have preferred the Chambor eye shadow trio but I got the pencil :( I hate the perfume sample... CK Shock... Very sweet smelling and over powering... I prefer more subtle and understated fragrances like Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea or say Burberry Touch... CK Shock reminds me of Nina Ricci :( From Shiseido they gave me a skin softener, which I am hoping I'll like, Omved Foot Soak, which I am totally dying to try out and H2O body butter, which surprisingly is very drying for me :( So overall I would give the box a "B" or rather an average rating :( Siiigghhhhh... Am I not sighing too much?

Ok, I am sleepy now and I am yet to book a bus ticket for myself :( Will do that... and you all do go on commenting :) Miss you guys!

Himalaya Herbals Fairness Cream Review

Hi girls! This week or so we have been seeing few reviews of Himalaya Herbals products such as the foot cream, lip butter and kajal etc. Today I am reviewing the fairness cream from this brand. Fairness? It's not a crave for me, but bright and glowing skin? Yes I love it! Who doesn't like their skin to be radiant. So, I gave this product a try to check whether it's making my skin bright, clear spots or something else like that. Using this cream for more than a year, I have a lot to say about it. Now let us see a detailed review on what it does and what it doesn't. 

Himalaya Herbals Fairness Cream 

Price: Rs.65 for 50g

(It also comes in a small pack of Rs.30 approx, I am not sure about the quantity)

Shelf Life: 3 yrs

Ingredient list

Each gm contains:
Aloe vera/Kumari (Aloe vera– 50mg): Moisturizes and softens the skin.
Walnut/Akschota (Juglans regia – 20mg): Nourishes the skin.
Orange/Naranga (Citrus reticulata – 20mg): Removes blemishes.
Rose/Satapatrika (Rosa centifolia – 20mg): Improves complexion. Keeps you fresh.
Inactives:
Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Bronopol.

What does the Product Claims

“Fairness in 4 weeks” – The unique natural formula of Himalaya Fairness Cream is absorbed faster into the skin and works throughout the day, making your complexion better each time, every time. Prevents dark discoloration of the face.

• “4 Dimensional Fairness” – Improves glow, Moisturizes, Improves complexion, Nourishes.
• Himalaya fairness cream is an ayurvedic proprietary medicine.
• Suitable for all skin types. No bleaching agents. No harmful chemicals.
• Natural herbal formulations tend to change colour overtime. However, the product efficacy remains unchanged.

My Views and Ratings

The Packaging

Do you want me to say? It comes in a tube like every other Himalaya herbals cream come. The acne cream, foot cream and bla bla bla. The tube is in white with rose mixed colour, with a green screw type cap. The tube is so simple in looks but it's a TUBE. Isn't that enough for me? Wow It's my favorite!! Because it is hygienic than silly tubs :D Perfect for squeezing with control! Perfect for traveling!. Hey wait, I forgot to mention a thing. The cream tube is compactly placed inside a rectangle cardboard box. No bad I see in it's packaging.

4.9/5 (Expecting some cute packaging from Himalaya Herbals)

Colour, Consistency and Fragrance

The cream is neither too thick nor runny, but its very light as like in between a lotion and cream's consistency. The cream being white coloured has a very light peach tint on it and also a shiny, silky texture. To say about the fragrance, it is unexplainable, the fragrance is a kinda floral + herbal, may be a little heavy for sensitive noses but after applied onto the skin, it gets mild. I loved its fragrance.

4.5/5 (Fragrance can be little mild)

                                                                            Before application

                                                                 After application

How It Works On Me

First thing I want to say is that this cream is in my HG list. My skin tends to change somewhat oily in summers and those times, this cream is pick for sure. It spreads easily (But not that quick, as the consistency is very light you need to massage the cream over your face till it gets absorbed) and gives a light matte effect. It instantly brightens my face and gives an oily free look. However dry skins may feel it stretchy or tight. With regular use, this cream fades away the spots and evens out my skin up to an extent. I dislike the slight powdery consistency of this cream. but still okay with it for its other benefits. It doesn't make me fair, or white as per the claim. No cream can do this I know but the brightening effect is pretty good and this is what I want too. I am not crazy about pale skins :P Bright, soft and beautiful is enough. I totally love this cream and using it everyday! (Except winters). Oily skins and also normal to oily skins should try this one for sure!

4/5 

PROS

1. Instantly gives a matte effect and brightens skin.
2. Contains natural ingredients such as aloe vera, wall nut, orange and rose which are very good for your skin. 
3. No side effects and it doesn't break out skin! This is a great plus. 
4. Doesn't make skin greasy or oily. Perfect for all season usage in oily skins.
5. Stays on my face for a long time and can be used as a good makeup base.
6. Hygienic packaging and travel friendly.
7. Smells floral. I love it.
8. Comes in a dirt cheap price and lasts really long as a little amount is enough for whole face and neck.
9. It's Himalaya herbals. So easily available everywhere!
10. Fades away dark spots and evens out skin up to an extent.

CONS

1. Stretchy feel if used on dry skins. It will not suit dry skins anytime, even summers.
2. Contains parabens. (Every other cosmetic product do so)
3. The cream has a slight powdery consistency.
4. Fragrance may be a bit heavy for sensitive noses but gets mild after application. 

My Recommendation: A great pick for oily skins! normals too I guess,not sure.

Overall Rating: 4/5 

Will I repurchase?: Why not? I said it's in my HG list isn't it? :P