Treatments -Dr. Hauschka - Neem Hair Oil
maliciousdelicious 1/10/2013 3:03:00 AM
This is not really a review but a caution. This product can only be using a very very very miniscule amount of neem as it would never smell good if it had an effective amount of neem in it.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Organic Neem Oil
maliciousdelicious 1/10/2013 2:49:00 AM
If you live in India, the properties of neem are legendary. I have been growing a neem plant and tried boiling the leaves in water as a face rinse a couple of times with good results, but it's a bit difficult to work with just leaves and they run out quickly unless you have a whole tree! It took a horrible attack of eczema all over my arms to force me to try it more seriously. I got some neem oil from my pharmacy. In India it's less than a dollar for a bottle, no fancy packaging. I mixed just 2-3 drops with Egyptian Magic and applied it all over my arms every morning (at night it gets too messy and smelly on my sheets). I also started taking the capsules twice a day. They are made by the Himalaya herbal brand - I forget the cost but not very expensive either. At first, my skin stung like crazy and the pus and blood continued to come out. I had a couple of very uncomfortable and messy nights. That was on Monday. It's Thursday today and all the pus and bleeding has stopped. The skin is still sore and very very dry but the dry skin is peeling off. It's still a bit itchy but not unbearable and overall it feels much better and looks like it will be completely fine. I was also starting to get it around my collarbone and neck so I'm trying this treatment before it gets to the full blown stage. All in all, I couldn't be happier. It's cheap, effective and natural. I wish I'd done it ten years ago when I had a similar attack instead of using steroid creams. Yes it smells but it's not such a bad smell. It smells like food, like curry. In India, people are much more accepting and also there is much more air circulation so it's not that noticeable. I feel like the capsules are also making my facial skin much clearer, which is why I haven't had the chance to try this out as an anti-acne treatment. I am going to try it on my hair for dandruff next and will update here! Look towards nature people! UPDATE: I stopped using this when my homeopath suggested another ointment but I wish I had used it all the way through. Nevertheless, while it cut the weeping and bleeding short, it didn't cure me completely. I have heard that it helps but doesn't not completely solve the problem and that you have to use steroid cream. However I hate the idea of steroids and am trying a non-steroid cream called Atopiclair which seems promising. Will report on that later. In the future I will use neem oil as a preventive measure.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Maybelline - Clearglow BB Cream
maliciousdelicious 1/9/2013 9:13:00 AM
It's cheap and there aren't many other BB options around here in India but the shade didn't match my skin and it made me break out. It over promises and under delivers.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Kailas Jeevan, Multi-purpose Ayurvedic Cream
maliciousdelicious 1/7/2013 7:57:00 AM
My sister swears by this. It's really cheap and readily available at any Indian chemist. As it's supposed to help itchy and rashy skin, I was hoping it would help my eczema but it seems to be progressing and spreading as usual. I don't want to rate it negatively because I'm not sure it was meant to be used for eczema in the first place. It can also be used on eyes and taken internally but it smells so strong (and, I believe, tastes so bad) that I can't bring myself to try it. I may try applying it topically for acne though.
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Fragrances -Christian Dior - Poison
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 1:15:00 PM
This is to Christian Dior what Opium is to YSL - totally classic and nostalgia inducing. I love the smell although it's more of a winter smell. I would love to wear this again if I moved to a colder climate.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Calamine Lotion
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 1:12:00 PM
This is a necessity in everyone's house because it's great for calming rashes and irritations. It's a must-use for chicken pox. I've also seen it advertised as a face care product but I would never use if for that. I'm pretty sure it blocked my pores and caused me to break out.
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Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Opium
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 12:51:00 PM
This is one of those fragrances you don't forget. For me it instantly takes me back to the early 90's when the Gulf War was going on - that's when I first smelled it. It's a bit too strong and heavy for hot climates but I would go back to it if I lived in colder climes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Yves Saint Laurent - Parisienne
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 12:49:00 PM
I bought this because of the lovely colour, packaging and ad campaign featuring Kate Moss. And also because I got a free liner with it. Talk about the power of marketing! It has strong rose tones, which I usually love but I find this fragrance too sharp rather than delicate and floral. Somehow, I've never caught on to it. Someone here said it's being discontinued (I thought it had been launched just recently!) If anyone wants to swap internationally let me know.
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Eyeliner -Yves Saint Laurent - Easy Liner For Eyes
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 12:43:00 PM
I got this free with a YSL perfume. It's #3 in a dark teal colour. However, there is hardly any colour at all. Even when you apply it on your hand, you have to swipe it a couple of times for the colour to show up. On the eyes, it's even more challenging what with my dark circles and oily crinkly lids. The packaging is to die for through - as it is with all YSL cosmetics.
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Highlighters -L'Oreal - Touch-On Color in Go-Go Gold LE
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 12:38:00 PM
This was a gift given to me ages ago that I pulled out from the bottom of my drawer. I know that's not the best idea but the product seemed fine. I just got into make-up recently and really liked the idea of an all-purpose colour. However, this is too sheer and doesn't show up on my dark skin at all.
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Skincare - Body -Bath and Body Works - Aromatherapy- Eucalyptus and Spearmint
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 12:33:00 PM
This was given to me as a gift like 5-6 years ago from a friend visiting from the US and it's still not over! I don't use it much because it has a VERY strong smell that doesn't suit hot weather. You can wash your hands with soap and the smell still doesn't come off! I'm just not a fan of overpowering smells. It's quite rich so I guess perfectly suited for dry cold climates. Even having it on my legs makes me feel my face skin is going to break out! I love the bottle - an old fashioned apothecary style bottle in a beautiful "bottle green" with a pump dispenser. Lovely! All in all, it's not a great product but packaged well with a too-strong smell. Nice gift idea as it looks pretty on the dressing table.
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Bronzers -Inglot - AMC face and body bronzer
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 12:02:00 PM
I have a lot in common with the previous reviewer. I too have the biggest bottle but in the second darkest shade. I bought it for my back which is spotty but since I haven't bared my back in a while, in the meantime I'm using it to contour. The colour is not great to look at (a kind of dirty brown rather than a warm brown) but effective. However, I did develop a bump on my jaw the morning after using it there to contour. Also, it is quite watery and has to be shaken up ALOT. A bit pricey for a body product - I wish they had had the smaller bottle in stock for me to try out. However, there are very few options for bronzing and tanning products in India as everyone is trying to go lighter (except me!)
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lavender Essential Oil
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 11:53:00 AM
I got this after reading the reviews here. I've used it mainly for it's calming properties. Although I fall asleep quickly, I sometimes have a restless sleep and I drop a few drops of this on my pillow. I do feel it makes me sleep deeper and I enjoy the medicinal smell. I haven't tried it on my face. It seems from reviews here that you can use it as is but the bottle clearly says you shouldn't apply directly on the skin. Maybe I'll try it on some non-sensitive areas but currently I'm using the Clarins Lotus Face Oil so I'm fine with that.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Clinique - Take The Day Off Eye Makeup Remover
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 11:48:00 AM
A friend of mine gave me her bottle because she found it too oily. It definitely is too oily but it's also gentle and effective in removing stubborn makeup. However, I began to use Johnson's baby oil and it's nearly as effective at a fraction of the cost. Oiliness is a problem though, so I now use DHC Deep Cleansing Oil which is pricey - though not as pricey as Clinique - and difficult to get but really amazing. It's so easy to use (you don't even need a cotton pad) and it just washes off.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - EXTRA VIRGIN Coconut Oil (All brands)
maliciousdelicious 12/31/2012 11:42:00 AM
Coconut oil is used extensively in India for a variety of purposes and especially for hair. I am convinced that's why Indians have such good strong hair and are the largest exporters of hair in the world! It is supposed to be an oil that absorbs easily and doesn't require a carrier oil. I remember as a teenager I had been applying Dettol cream on a spot (I tried everything) and in the cold winter season, the cream kind of solidified on my face and I couldn't get it off without a lot of pain! My wise grandmother suggested applying coconut oil and insisted it wouldn't break me out and she was right! Now I use it for an oil massage - I generally heat it up and massage it into my scalp. Then I wash it off 3 hours later (some people use it overnight but I find that too messy). It boosts hair growth. I would advise using the pure version and not the "premium" versions for hair that generally add ingredients to improve the smell. You're going to wash it off, so that's not required but you can add ingredients like amla (gooseberry) that are also good for hair.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No