My first visit to The Body Shop store was around Christmas time. The SA convinced me to get the winter special – Spiced Vanilla because it is a special edition and people wait an entire year for those. I had just dipped my toes in TBS addiction waters, so I was not aware of the whole thing. Anyways, I got it, and I still thank my stars for doing so. Unfortunately, Spiced Vanilla did not show up after a couple of years. There was one Vanilla Chai last year, but it was nowhere close to what I needed in my life. 

So, you can imagine how happy I was when I got the news about the Vanilla Marshmallow range. I love all of them except one. 

I already wrote part of one this post. If not then please do. Here is the link - Favorite Shows - Comedy and Drama. Go and read. I will wait till you finish.

Done? So, here is the part two - My Favorite Series featuring crime, mystery and thriller. I have tried my best to not give away any plot or spoilers.

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Review

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay - if you have not heard about this detox mask then sister, you must be living under a rock. The whole world knows about this. A cheaper answer to all the maddening skyrocketing skincare treatments in the world. Mix it with apple cider vinegar, and you have the magic potion ready. 

Therefore, this was in my to-try list. Unfortunately, I forgot to add it my card initially while purchasing products from iHerb. I made another purchase from iHerb just to add this.

For weeks, I was contemplating the idea for how risky it might be - it literally says - feel your face pulsate!

I used to believe that I spend the most money on face oils. I still do, but then I discovered something even more important and worth spending money - toners. I have my kidney worth toners in my stash. Some are just facial water posing as toners to get into the big boys club to glamorous marketing and fancy names. Some work great as face mist but yet wish to break free from their category. One of them confidently says, "Glow tonic."

Is it?

Why Pixi Glow Tonic? I decided to splurge on this when I realized my favorite La Roche Posay is not only out of stock in India but also in Paris! It also has alcohol so, I decided to hunt for something better. LRP has salicylic acid. This time I decided to go beyond and try Glycolic Acid for micro-exfoliation. Also, it is alcohol-free.

A haul of French skincare products from Paris.

Well, this was bound to happen because I switched to a French company this year and someone or other is always is always traveling. I just did not expect that it would happen this fast. I had just joined and there was somebody about to travel. I asked him if he would be able to pick a few skincare products for me. I assured him that these will be available in random pharmacy and he will not have to go anywhere special.

Innisfree Perfect UV Protection Essence Water Base SPF50+ PA+++

Glamglow Masks Review Supermud, Youthmud, Gravitymud, Thristymud, Flashmud, Powermud Review

Since the time Glamglow entered the Indian market, everyone is raving about them. And since it is skincare, it is tough for me to turn a blind eye to the Glamglow masks. Issue – The price. A whopping Rs 1600 for just 15 grams. To make you feel that 15 grams is a good amount, they even pack them up in glass jars. How much is 15 grams? Well, the free masks sachets that The Body Shop gives are 5 grams each. Those last for around 2 usages….thrice if you can stretch them. So, Rs 1600 for something that won’t even last 8 proper applications is heartbreaking. But, I was tempted the whole time and wanted to try multiple of those. Then one day my friend informed me that she has got one of them. I could not control myself any longer. I had to check at Sephora. There I found this multimasking trial pack which is not only value for money, but I also get to try all their masks. The dam gates of my self-control crashed open.

Delhi Stationery Fair Haul

I was dreaming about visiting them since I got to know about this couple of months back. Then, I forgot about it and spend my money somewhere else. Anyways, I could not say no to 'Stationery' to off I went there on Sunday afternoon - returned broke!

The fair majorly have four types of stalls

Some of the stalls were not sold so, there are also some random chips and pickle shops. I ignored them all. 😑

Dr. Sheth's Basic Brightening Extra Gentle Daily Peel Review

What is a peel? To answer in the most basic layman terms – a peel is a beauty product that dissolves the top layer of your skin to kick start repair. So, why not use scrubs? It is said to be better than scrubs because there are no abrasives involved which might cause damage. So, this is a good choice for sensitive skin to reveal the glow within. But, peels are expensive and can sting a lot. 

Good peels do sting a little but it should not be uncomfortable. But, they are supposed to – a little – to make sure that something is happening. 

If you love skincare then you must have heard about Dr. Sheth’s products. 

In case you haven’t. here is a little back story – Dr. Sheth’s products are developed by a dermatologist - Dr. Rekha Sheth – who formulated these luxury products tailored for Indian skin. Indian skin has melanin, more prone to pigmentation, and have to tolerate harsher sun rays and more pollution. To fight against that, Dr. Sheth’s products have more skin actives than other skincare products which are formulated majorly for Caucasian skin (fairer skin with less melanin) 

They have a nice range of products which are available online on their website. Recently, I even spotted them on Nykaa. I discovered them in a store – Rangeela in Goa – a store I went just to browse because it was a very old Portuguese home tastefully decorated. Anyhow, I saw Dr. Sheth’s there and two product that went into my cart – Basic Brightening Daily Cleanser and Basic Brightening Extra Gentle Daily Peel. Reviewing the Daily Cleanser today. 

The Body Shop British Rose Petal-Soft Gel & Chinese Ginseng and Rice Clarifying Milky Toner Review

I was never a toner person. Then, I discovered La Roche Posay Astringent, and there has been no looking back. But, time and again many people have told me not to use a toner that has alcohol. I know I have to make a shift, but that is not happening anytime soon. Meanwhile, I am interested in trying new toners. Here I have not one but two truly unique toners. The Body Shop has these superfood masks you must have heard about. Extending the line, TBS launched these two toners.

What did you just said? Hair scrub? A scrub for your scalp that refreshes and cleanses? Please take my money and give me one.

But, the more I learned about it, the more debatable it got. Especially the fact that you cannot use it on colored/treated/chlorine affected hair. Now, I am very confused. Luckily, I have a straightforward hair care routine with just five products. All of which are close to natural or as chemical-free as possible (Let me know if you wish to read about that). But, what is the harm in trying something new?

Tired of dry skin in winter? I can feel that sister. Most people don’t moisturize regularly but not me. I used to moisture twice a day. I would finish tubs of Nivea Soft Crème. I loved the fragrance, and I liked how it moisturized without stickiness. After I had gone through my arms worth of Nivea crème, I realized this was not solving the real issue. Right then begin my search for a new moisturizer. The fact that I could use my review for blog motivated me more. But, in the last couple of years, I have concluded that nothing works better than oil. I still use crèmes and lotion, but at times you are in a hurry and do not have the liberty to slather yourself with oil.

I have gone through several body oils and here is another one reviewed for you. 😘

Hello from Nainital - The City with Beautiful Lake

This is my second trip to Nainital. Last time it was in 2011 with Mr. Boy (now my hubby) and this time with my Mom. My grandfather has used to come around this area for business, and he always told my mom that one must visit Nainital once in their lifetime. Nainital is no more as untouched as it used it back when my grandpa used to come but I decided to fulfill her dream to visit Nainital. Thankfully we visited during the non-peak season. I love Nainital far more this time than my last visit. There is hardly any crowd and rates for most tourist areas/activities is fixed.

This is a haul post. If you want a travel post, then let me know. Meanwhile, check my Instagram feed. I am spamming Instastories with pictures of the blue sky, blue-green lakes, and yummy food.

Terracotta Earthen Clay Pots Indian Boho Tribal Painting DIY

Hope you are having a great new year and 2018 is treating you good. One of the biggest events of the year (so far) is that I left my job. I have been there for more than eight years! I will be joining another job in Feb. Till then, it's all about self-care. Today, I even had my first piano class 🙊

.I said at the start of the year that I want to do more DIYs. Most planters we have in our house are the ceramic ones. But, I was getting bored of those. So, I thought of painting the clay pots. Don't they look lovely? Disclaimer: I painted these while watching 'The Middle' on Amazon Price so, they are not perfect. 😁