Essential things to carry in your purse/handbag

Everybody (or mostly everybody) carries a purse or a handbag when outside. But how many times have you been asked for a pen? Or a paper to write on? People tend to miss out simple yet important items that could ease out situations that you face while outside home.

So what should you carry in your purse? Ofcourse, it widely varies from person to person, but some items just ought to be there -

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  For starters, a pen (which works!) and little sticky papers that are convenient to use
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  Wallet with money (and change), ID and driving license
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  Keys and cell phones too!
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  Tissues and hand sanitizers
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  Feminine necessities
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  Reading glasses/sunglasses or your contact lens case with solution
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  A compact mirror
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  Whichever of the following you may need for a touch up - facial cleanser, compact powder, kajal, lipgloss/Vaseline, lipstick etc etc.
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  A hairbrush/comb
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  Safety pins! Yes, they are tiny and oh so important to pin away and be hassle free. A good idea would be take a few tissues/papers, fold them up to be thick and then pin the entire set of safety pins neatly on to the tissues and place them in the tiny compartment of your purse. You'll never waste time looking for them in your purse then. You could pin them up to the insides of your purse too, but I'm too careful with my handbags and couldn't take any pin marks or tears anywhere.
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  Painkillers or any other medication you use
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  Your will or any last words written on a piece of paper, stashed away in your handbag, just in case you were in a freak accident or something

Kidding about the last one! Intriguing idea though..8->

Ayur anti-sun tan face pack - Review

I've been using Ayur's anti-sun tan face pack for some 2 years now. And I love it. Especially because it is inexpensive and works quite well for its cost. According to the pack -

Ingredients - Ayur's special sun tanning face pack is made up of herbs like multani mitti, calamine powder, kaolin powder, pudina, haldi powder etc. This is a pure herbal pack having no chemicals.

How to use - Wash the face with water. Mix 1 tablespoon of this pack with 'Ayur' rose water or tap water and apply the paste evenly on the face. Allow it to get dry. Then wash the face with cold water.

Effect - This is an excellent face pack for oily and sensitive skin. Regular use of this pack, removes the tanning of the skin and makes the skin fairer.

Costs - Rs. 40 for 100 gms (Best use before 36 months from date of manufacture)

Pros - I'd agree with what they have to say. After using the pack, my skin always feel clean and fresh. And over time, you can definitely notice the tan decreasing (as long as you'r not prancing about in the sun everyday obviously). Since I'm a fan of haldi, I often add some more haldi to the powder and then apply the pack on my face. Its quantity is good, which lasts for 2 months, depending on how often and how much you use.

Cons - My only grouse with Ayur is that it's difficult to find this face pack in shops. Not all shops keep it and quite often, I've been forced to check from market to market, before finally laying my hands on it. It's packaging is pretty boring, but that's not really a big deal, as long as the product does the trick. Other than that, the fact that they don't really advertise their products much doesn't really bother me. Because eventually, I'd be paying for it, so it's better this way!

Would I recommend this product? - Yes, I would!

For baby soft skin around eyes

I'd started using under eye creams and gels to get rid of my dark eye circles. But what I noticed after almost a year of using them, was how soft the skin around my eyes had become. Not that I had wrinkly old skin anyway, but the skin looked plumped up, soft to touch and gave my eyes a fresh, dewy look.

And I plan to continue using eye gels for long now. So an excellent way to minimize any damage to the delicate skin around the eye, is to use almond oil every night before sleeping. Gently massage almond oil around your eyes with your ring finger and make sure you are regular with this.

Keep up with this routine for atleast 3-4 months, to see visible difference to the skin around your eyes. Remember, the earlier you start with this routine, the better it is for your eyes.

Homemade waxing strips

If you are looking to learn and wax yourself over time, then investing in wax strips made out of cloth is a good idea. It keeps for long and the cloth absorbs any moisture from the wax and helps in a clean pull.

You could use any thick cotton cloth (I've heard old jeans works fine, though haven't ever tried it myself). You could use some old curtains or you could buy casement cloth from a shop. I'd used casement cloth initially, but then found some rags which were thicker and worked better. If you still can't find any suitable cloth at home, check out any shop and ask them for thicker varities of cotton cloth and you could choose one accordingly.

Once you buy a cloth, cut it into strips of 4-4.5 inches wide (wider than you need), so that you can fold in the edges and stitch them over. You could skip the stitching part, but doing this avoids any unravelling threads after you wash them over and over again.

Now how many strips you'd like to make depends on how much waxing you do at a time. Since I wax my arms and legs at one go sometimes, I have some 15-20 strips with me. They are more than enough for waxing this much.

Plus, I have strips of varying widths as well, though most of them are around 3-4 inches wide, and some a little narrower. There is no hard and fast rule. For example, when I wax my arms, I use a little narrower strips and for my legs, the wider ones do a better job.

This might sound cumbersome, but prepare the strips once and then you can use them for years. After waxing, simply soak them in water and once the wax dissolves, you can wash them as usual. I've been using my own wax strips for years and that's a whole lot of cost saving!

Waxing at home - Things you need

Once you are ready to wax, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty of the things you need.  So you will be needing the following -

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  Wax (ready made or homemade)
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  Wax strips (you can buy them or make your own using cotton or casement cloth)
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  Spatula (or a butter knife if you don't have a spatula)
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  Wax heating machine (you can heat using a microwave otherwise)
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  Powder for dusting
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  Towel(s) for wiping any sticky messes

This is all you need for waxing at home. If you are looking to save money by waxing at home, then I'd definitely recommend making homemade wax. You could additionally purchase a wax heating machine (I'd bought mine around 7-8 years back, for around 200 Rs I think). It's an excellent investment, and will save you the trouble of heating in the microwave or on the stove constantly. Not to mention, it's cheap!

For the waxing strips, check out this post. It explains all about how to make your own long lasting waxing strips. 

Black seed oil (Nigella Sativa) for hair growth

Black seeds (also known as black onion seeds, kalaunji in Hindi and Nigella Sativa as the scientific name)have been used for it's medicinal properties for centuries and I figured I ought to try it myself. Luckily, there was a bottle of black seed oil at home, so I could start using it immediately. The oil sure has a strong smell, but nothing unpleasant. I like the crunchiness and flavour of kalaunji seeds anyway, when used on buns and paranthas.

I also came across its uses for growing strong, healthy and shiny hair. So I've just started using it for the first time, by massaging it on to my scalp and leaving it on. It seemed to cause a tingling sensation as soon as I applied it, unlike any other oil I've used. So I really hope it works.

I'll keep up with this routine and will post of updates, about whether it's working or not.

To healthy, strong hair!

Update (6th October, 2010) - I used the oil topically for a few days and then began taking a teaspoon with honey. I must've used this for some 2-3 weeks, but to no avail. It could be that I didn't keep up with the routine for a period, long enough to see results.

In any case, this didn't work for my hair growth, although I'm certain having a teaspoon of black seed oil with pure honey everyday is as healthy as healthy can get! 

Homemade wax recipe

I prefer using fresh, homemade wax instead of store bought ones because atleast I'm sure the wax I make at home is completely natural and chemical free. Not to mention homemade wax is alot cheaper than purchasing a ready made one. Some ready made ones can irritate sensitive skin, causing tiny boils or rashes too.

So for this homemade wax, my only disclaimer - it does take some practice! I remember trying to make wax initially and would end up with some hardened, thickened mass which really didn't work like wax was supposed to. But once I got the hang of it, it's been a piece of cake. Do remember, if you can't so much as boil an egg, you won't be able to prepare this wax either. :P

For other adventurous souls, you'd be needing -

• A pot/vessel for preparing the wax
• Wooden spoon (preferable)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8th cup lemon juice (Half of 1/4th cup basically)
• 2-4 tablespoons of water
• A container/tub for storing the wax

Now, to make this task easier, grind the coarse sugar granules into a powder. This makes it super easy for the powder to dissolve in the lemon juice and water and you wouldn't need to slave over the stove for half an hour, stirring in constantly to get the sugar to dissolve. And this was actually my mom's idea to use powdered sugar instead.

So, on medium heat, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water and stir in till the sugar dissolves completely. Keep stirring for 5 minutes or so and then, let the mix come to a rolling boil. 

You will know your wax is ready when you see a pale golden colour appearing and the consistency is honey like. If you'r not sure if it's ready, simple test with a butter knife. Take a tiny amount and let it cool for a minute (be careful, you don't want to burn yourself!) and then apply a small patch on the back of your hand.

If you've ever been waxed before, you'll know how easily the wax spreads on your skin and how it hardens just a little bit on cooling. If the patch you applied is too runny/watery, then you need to let the mix cook for some more time on low heat only (using high heat will cause the mix to boil quickly and turn deep golden, which would indicate a toughened mass of sugar).

And if the wax you applied on your skin wouldn't spread too easily, then you need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water (don't add all of it together, mix in little by little to see how much more it needs to soften and more or less accordingly).

Finally, the wax needs to be sticky enough and if it isn't, you can add a dash of lemon juice to make it so. Once you get the desired consistency and the pale golden colour, take off from heat and immediately pour into the container that you will be using to store the wax. (If you let it cool in the vessel, it will harden and you'll have to heat it all over again to pour it into the container)

I use a microwavable container, so it's real easy for me to heat it and take out the desired amount to put in the wax heating machine, when I need to wax.

This makes roughly a cup of wax, and can easily be stored at room temperatue. Remember, it may be a little difficult in the beginning, but after so much practice, I don't even measure the amounts of lemon juice and water anymore and make it perfectly anyhow!

PS: For anything gone wrong, well, it's happened to me too and there's always a second time. Also, to get rid of burnt/hardened sugar, just keep the vessel and spoons dipped in water for a few hours and then wash as usual.

3 foods for healthy hair

Now some people have it real easy, when regardless of what they eat or how they handle their hair, it just remains strong, healthy and shiny. One of my aunt's friend, back in the 70's, had lush, thick hair and without her even working hard to maintain it. When my aunt once enquired what she uses to wash her hair, she said nothing special at all. Sometimes when she'd forget to take shampoo in while taking a shower, she'd simply use Rin (clothes washing detergent!) to wash her hair! So much for not using harsh chemicals on your hair.

Anyway, since most of us aren't that lucky, eating your way to healthy hair assumes greater importance as a way of ensuring healthy locks. Since everybody advises 'eat lots of fruits, vegetables and drinks lots of water' for good hair, it eventually remains just an advice and nothing more.

So here are 3 easy foods that you can make a part of your daily routine. Just make a habit of eating these foods every single day, and soon, you'll forget that you'r eating healthier till you notice your hair looking shinier and stronger in 2-3 months time. So here are my favourites -

1. Nuts and some more nuts - These are by far the easiest to snack on and are tasty too. You can choose from almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts etc. And simply make a habit of eating a handful as a snack everyday. These nuts are an excellent source of zinc, a deficiency of which causes hair shedding. So make sure this is a regular part of your diet. (Tell me this bowl of walnuts, peanuts, cashew nuts and almonds doesn't look tasty!)

2. Low fat dairy products - Yup, a glass of skimmed milk or a cup of low fat milk everyday would do wonders for your hair. They are great sources of calcium, which is an important mineral for hair growth. I often have a cup of warm milk, with honey and cinnamon. It makes for a tasty and healthy drink too.

3. Eggs - Your hair is made up of protein and eggs are an excellent source of protein, with other beauty nutrients like biotin and vitamin B12 too. You can have them boiled, fried, scrambled or any other way you like it. Plus, one egg is only some 85 calories and that makes eggs low on calories and big on nutrients - definitely healthy!

There are alot of other healthy hair foods as well, but if you atleast made a start with just these 3, you'd be spurred on to work harder on your hair from the inside out, and can easily add more to your diet later on.

The best anti sun tan remedy

Sun tans obviously vary from person to person, but if the tan lines are severe or are visible to the naked eye, they definitely won't reduce easily and quickly.

So what's the best anti sun tan remedy? Well, simply save yourself from the harsh sun rays in the first place. Yes, that is a remedy because some wise person mentioned that prevention is better than cure. And no, slathering on sunscreen as your only protection does not count for 'avoiding' the sun. Though sunscreens do work, they don't ward off the risk of tanning completely and only delay it.

The only measure which is 100% effective against sun tans, uneven skin tones, pigmentation, skin aging and wrinkles is actually the most neglected - staying out of the sun as much as possible. Especially the harsher sun rays from 10-4 PM. And that doesn't mean you can't step out to enjoy in the sun altogether. Just do so with umbrellas, hats, caps, scarves etc. These are opaque and the sun rays won't hit your skin, and consequently, won't cause any skin damage.

And what if you've already suffered some skin damage? Then go through the remedies I've posted here and use them regularly. They should work because I've used them to get rid of tans myself. And yes, they WON'T work if you keep baking yourself a good tandoori chicken complexion out in the sun every day. So it's important for you to go out in the sun only with protective gear in place and then work on the skin at home as well.

You are bound to see results if you keep at it consistently. But that's the key - being regular with the face packs and supplementing new skin growth with fresh fruits, vegetables, water and an active lifestyle. It does take alot of effort, but a smooth, flawless complexion? It sure is worth it!

3 must do's for healthy eyes

Eyes are delicate organs and rough, insensitivity towards them can cause irreversible damage. No amount of money/expertise can bring back the original, natural state. This is what an eye doctor had told me once. And it really did make sense too. So here are 3 things you must be careful about for healthier, radiant eyes -

• Be gentle while handling your eyes. Don't pull, scratch or rub your eyes and the area around them. The skin around eyes is very delicate and being rough with them isn't a good idea at all. Nobody wants aging eyes, with crows feet and fine lines, right past age 30. So it's very necessary to be gentle while removing eye make up, while plucking a dust particle out of your eye or while dealing with eye styes and other such infections.

• Your eyes are worth alot more than the money saved while purchasing some cheap, locally manufactured eye products. Take special care to buy quality, branded items for your eyes. You can limit the quantity of eye makeup you have, but you shouldn't do the same with the quality. And do remember to discard them, once they are past the expiry date.

• Be careful of straining your eyes while reading, watching TV and other such activities. Bad or insufficient lighting, improper posture while reading, using the computer for hours at a stretch or inadequate sleeping hours are just some of the instances of how we strain our eyes day in and day out. The results? Tired, over worked eyes, with dark circles, which lack the lustre and sparkle. You should make a conscious effort to minimize the strain on your eyes and let them relax too. They help you soak in the beauty around. They do deserve this much care!

Why sunshine is better than artificial lights

If you are trying to get rid of some skin tan, dark under eye circles, pimple or acne scars, or any other such blemishes, you would, in most probability, be checking your skin in the mirror day after day, for any noticeable changes.

And in most cases, you'd end up checking out the mirror with tubelights, bulbs or lamps on. And this is where you need to know that your skin shows alot (of damage or improvement) when you check it in daylight instead. I noticed this myself, when I could clearly see diminishing pores/patches on my face in sunlight, but while checking out the same in tubelight, I couldn't see any difference on my skin.

The same applies to when you are out purchasing cosmetics. It's so so important to buy foundation, concealer, lipsticks, blusher etc. etc. during day time only! Trying a patch test inside a shop's glossy artificial lights really doesn't reflect the true picture and if you are really looking for that 'perfect' shade, you must try stepping out into the sun and then checking out how the shade suits you (Take a friend along, or just use a compact mirror - though it would look a little odd looking into the mirror standing outside a shop, but hey, it's worth it if you get the perfect shade!)

And trust me, if you want to see how many pores, blackheads, whiteheads, or other discolourations your skin is living with, then do yourself a favour and open those curtains wide, let sunlight stream in and gloss over in front of that mirror for the 'moment of truth'!

You'd feel alot better knowing your problem areas and then work accordingly to fix them. Happy gazing! :)

Home remedy for blemishes

Blemishes are spots or patches of discolouration, left behind by pimples, acne, boils, insect bites, bruising, sun tans, or just plain stress. If you have blemishes caused due to stress, then nothing would work better than calming yourself down and reducing stress levels first. No home remedy would work as long as the stress continues to bother you.

However, for other blemishes, using the following paste is an excellent remedy for getting rid of such spots and blemishes -

Paste of Neem leaves (Wash, boil and grind the neem leaves to a paste) (Or you could simply boil the neem leaves and use the water instead)

Turmeric powder (haldi)

Lemon juice (optional)

I haven't specified any quantities, because it depends on the area you need to apply the paste to. I don't mind using a little more turmeric powder than usual, even if it stains, because it works wonderfully as an antiseptic and makes skin radiant and glowy.

Apply a thick paste of the above and let dry. Don't use soap on the area right after this application; let your skin absorb the goodness.

Using this regularly for 2-3 weeks can markedly reduce the blemishes. This paste also cools your skin, so it's good to use in summers when your skin is tired of the heat and pollution.

Waxing at home

Waxing in one of the best hair removal methods available because regular waxing results in slower hair growth over time. I've been waxing for years now and it's great because now I wax once in a month or so and the hair takes longer to grow out each time.

What's even better is that I can wax myself at home, and have perfected the art of doing so. I always found visiting beauty parlours/salons for waxing every month so time consuming, not to mention the costs involved for something which is just 'heat-apply-pull'. Plus, I've always had a penchant of learning how to do things myself, and this is one of the numerous things I do myself (and often, better than the beautician's themselves).

And it's not something like cosmetic surgery that only expert professionals can handle you know? Not to mention that while waxing yourself, you can make sure not a single hair is left behind and waxing in the comfort and privacy of your home is great!

And ofcourse, like with all other things, it takes practice! Initially I used to be scared just to yank the strip off me. And I have to admit, I did suffer some red bumps here and there, because of wrong waxing techniques. Fortunately, I learnt quickly and now, not only do I wax myself easily, but I do it in a such a way that there is minimun pain (Yup, there are tricks to minimize the pain as well).

So here, I'll be sharing all the things I've learnt over the years and hope to make waxing alot more of a pleasurable experience for you. Keep watching this space for more!

Pimples and breakouts? Try this!

Pimples and breakouts have a way around and for some funny reason, we tend to get them most when we'd rather not have them. So try the following quick fix to calm the swellings and dry them out -

1-2 tsp honey (use lesser if it's a lone pimple; more otherwise)

Cinnamon powder

Drops of lemon juice (if you have oily skin)

Apply this over the pimples and let dry. Wash off with warm water. Don't pick on the pimples for sure and use this 2 times a week to keep such breakouts at bay. Precaution is better than cure! :)

For glossy, shiny hair

If you have dull, lifeless hair and are looking to bring on the shine, then simply use the following rinse after shampooing your hair -

1/2 cup of plain tea (unsweetened and without milk obviously)

A generous squeeze of lemon juice

After you are done shampooing, take a jug of water, and add the tea lemon mix to it. This will dilute the mixture and allow you to rinse your hair nicely. Then use this as a final rinse to your hair and that's it.

You might be uncomfortable with the idea of leaving tea in your hair; I used to feel the same. But after I started seeing how soft and shiny my hair would be after drying, I didn't mind as much. The half cup of tea works fine for shoulder length hair; use more or less depending on how long your hair is. If you find the mix is still too strong, then dilute it more with water and then rinse as usual. 

A word of caution though. Your towel would stain when you dry your hair with it. So keep one towel aside just for this. And you might want to use a dark coloured towel, instead of a white/cream coloured one.

Do this once or twice a week for best results.