My Very Own Box- Let's Go Nuts About Coconuts

Hi all, I just got back from a holiday to the beaches & found my city in deep freeze mode. I'm really craving the coconutty smell of my sunscreen. What better way than to make a box out of it. My theme for this month's box - Let's Go Nuts About Coconuts.

KLF Nirmal Virgin Coconut Oil

INR 320 for 500 ml

I've been using this on my hair & skin. It's light in texture & gets absorbed quickly. Also it doesn't have the tell tale smell of coconut oil. LOVE!

Nivea Creme Coconut Cream Shower

INR 165 for 250 ml

I bought this thinking it would be like the Palmolive Crushed Coconut one. It doesn't smell anything like that- just vaguely coconutty. Don't particularly love it but its good enough for winters.

Indulekha Coconut Milk Shampoo

INR 135 for 100 ml

Yet to try. Have heard good things about this shampoo

KLF Cocosoft Handmade Coconut Soap

INR 45 for 75 gm

I have a thing for handmade soaps & keep buying when I find them. Love these soaps but again they smell nothing like coconut. It's a great fragrance actually,  just not what I had in mind.

Patanjali Coconut Hair Wash

INR 95 for 150 ml

This one's a star. It resembles conditioner in both look & feel but produces a small amount of lather. I use this when i can't oil my hair. My itchy scalp is soothed, hair is smooth & I don't even have to follow up with conditioner. Fabulous find.

That's all for this month. Cheers

December Empties

Empties!  I'm so obsessed with them that I check my product excel sheet multiple times a week. Let's start with last month's empties

Vaadi Herbals Lavender Anti- aging Spa Facial Kit

INR 275 for 70 gm

Love the smell but it seems to do precious little for my skin. No repurchase.

Lux Scarlet Blossom Body Wash

INR 125 for 240 ml

OMG i'm in  love with the smell & it cleanses well without drying. Obviously buying again

Vaadi Herbals Blueberry Facial Bar

INR 34 for 25 gm

These facial bars are a total disappointment. Just trying to finish the ones I've bought

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula

INR 700 for 200 gm

Love! This one was a life saver this winter. Still trying to find something that lives up to this body butter.

Vaadi Herbals Anti aging Cream

INR 55 for 30 gm

Super heavy cream for my oily skin. It sits like a heavy blanket. I only managed to finish this by mixing equal quantity of aloe vera gel. No way in hell.

Nature's Essence Bridal Hand Cream

INR 175 for 100 gm

This was part of a Manicure/Pedicure kit. The hand cream is great especially for dry hands. I might buy again

2 Bath Foams

Lest we forget,  I'm still steadily chipping away at my considerable hotel stash. Managed to finish 2 Body Washes this time.

Now for the decluttering bit

Parachute After shower Non- sticky Hair Cream

INR 40 for 50 gm

I confess, I did love this when I first got it but now, the masculine scent is getting on my nerves. It is still a good product but no repurchase.

Eyetex Dazzler Eyeliner

INR 35 for 6.5 ml

Mastering liquid liner is not on the cards for me. Also I have unevenly hooded eyes- liquid liner only seems to highlight this even more. No more liquid liner.

Maybelline Cranberry Cocktail Lipgloss

INR 250 for 6.8 ml

I have been steadily moving away from glosses from sometime. I would rather wear a red lipstick as a stain & top with clear gloss.

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Papaya

INR 475 for 5.9 ml

Beautiful colour but simply does not translate onto my lips & I do hate the huge applicator.  Also smelling a bit off.

We're done for this month. Any new beauty resolutions?

Books This Week 10

Hi all, happy new year. Let's have a look at the books I finished reading last week.

The Nightingale- Kristen Hannah

After many false starts, I finally managed to begin reading this book. It deals with the life of people in German occupied France during  the second World War. It was quite tedious & I only managed to finish by sheer will. I liked the subtle twist at the end though.

The Shoestring Club- Sarah Webb

Loved reading this chick-lit. The story held my interest from the beginning & I finished it in record time. Would love to read more by the same author.

Pretty Powerful- Bobbie Brown

Tonnes of makeovers in this one with models from all ethnicities & different eye shapes. Highly recommend this to anyone wanting to be a makeup artist.

Cheers.

Books This Week 9

Hello people. Another edition of books this week in the offing. Let's get straight to it

Such A Long Journey- Rohington Mistry

I wanted to read this since I read 'A Fine Balance' by the same author last year (& if I'm a little more honest- since it was banned a few years back). I finally found this floating somewhere on the net. I'm disappointed with this book. It starts out great bit loses steam midway. Also I felt like there were a lot of loose ends at the end of the book. You keep waiting for answers but it never comes. The author could have added another 50 pages & ended it properly with answers to what happened to whom.

Gossip Girl- Cecilia von Ziegesar

Picked up this just for fun. You can read on auto pilot. One time read

Gorgeous For Good - Sophie Uliano

Love this one. I really liked that a "green beauty" enthusiast could be so practical. It's full of tips about beauty, health & fitness. The highlight though is her 30 day program which has a holistic approach towards beauty. She has even included recipes she has used. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has 'let themselves go' & is trying to get back into the groove of things.

That's all for this week. Any interesting reads lately?

My Very Own Box - December

Winter is definitely here & by the looks of it, is planning on staying for long. This month's box is made up of only necessities. Let's look at the stuff I got this time.

Ayur Herbal Body Lotion in Cocoa Butter

INR 200 for 1000 ml

I tend to buy the biggest sized bottles available when it comes to body lotions. I have used their 1 litre sized bottles while in college (it's super cost effective). It smells good & moisturises well.

Health & Glow Cocoa Body Butter

INR 199 for 250 ml

Before online shopping became such a rage, Health & Glow was THE place to buy makeup & beauty products. It wasn't before long that they came out with their own line of products. I really like this body butter-it smells amazing & is not sticky but moisturises really well.

Oriflame Tender Care Gift Box-Caramel, Vanilla, Coconut, Cherry

INR 1295 for 15 ml ×4

I like how cute this looks-4 tiny pots housed in a cardboard box supported by sponge. You can remove the sponge & use it as a jewelry box. Caramel & Cherry are my top favorites followed by Vanilla. I don't like the coconut one- I'm using it as a cuticle butter so it stays far away from my nose.

Books This Week 8

Hello all, time for mini reviews of books I've read past week.

The Palace of Illusions- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

This had been on my to read list from a long time. I love mythology, especially Indian & was looking forward to reading this book. This book tells the story of Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Draupadi. I enjoyed reading it but as with all popular mythological books, there is nothing new- it's a story we all have heard a million times. To be fair, the book is not boring & there are tonnes of smaller stories woven within the storyline. Liked it, just didn't love it.

Frugal Isn't Cheap- Clare K Levison

Since I'm struggling with my spending habits it made sense to pick up this book. I really liked the fact that the author doesn't blame credit cards for over spending. It's not like the card jumped out & decided to shop. High time for adults to start behaving like adults. The rest of the book is made up of points we've all heard & read before- it's a different thing that we don't follow them. Nice no- nonsense book.

1001 Ways To Stay Young Naturally- Susannah Marriott

This book has been targeted at 50 + age group but I feel everyone can benefit from the information. It's categorized into different areas like exercise,  skin care etc. The tip format makes it super easy to read. I think I'll dip back into this from time to time.

See you all next week. Cherrs

November Empties

Hi all, time for another empties post. Let's see what I managed to use up this month

Vaadi Herbals Lavender Shampoo

INR 59 for 110 ml

Love the smell but it doesn't do anything spectacular for my hair. No repurchase.

Garnier Fructis Oil- in- Cream

Free Sample of 7.5 gm

I finally caved in & bought a small tube of this & guess what! I've been bombarded with samples left, right & centre. Smells a bit strong like all Garnier Fructis products. Nothing special- its just leave in conditioner & I'm in no hurry to ditch my hair oil. Not repurchasing

Vaadi Herbals Olive Facial Bar

INR 34 for 25 gm

Had high hopes after seeing how good Vaadi Herbals Soaps were but this one dried out my skin terribly. Still have 5 more of these (Did I mention I have a bulk buying problem?) Obviously not repurchasing.

Aquasource Normal/Combination Skin Gel

Free Sample of 1.5 ml

One more sample. What exactly are you supposed to gague with 1.5 ml of product? Beats me. Smells ok, is lighter than Aloe Vera gel. Not buying retail.

Aroma Treasures Golden Glow Cream

Free Sample of 5 gm

Slightly heavy cream with a heady jasmine scent. Bit too rich for my oily skin. Have bought Aroma Treasures Golden Glow Oil last month.

Vaadi Herbals Exotic Kiwi Soap

INR 38 for 75 gm

I think this will be a staple in my bathroom.  Love these soaps.

Sure Women Anti- Perspirant Roll- on

INR 80 for 40 ml

Will buy this till the end of time. Why are there no non- alcoholic roll- ons in India?

Now for the decluttering part. You will be surprised with what you can unearth if only you clean your vanity regularly

Green Tea Sheet Mask

INR 25

This one's ancient. I had a mad sheet mask phase about 5 years back. It sounds good in theory but I simply can't relax with sheet masks on. They threaten to slip whenever I'm about to relax even a teeny bit. Glad that phase is gone.

Aromance Peppermint Essential Oil

INR 60 for 10 ml

Had bought this when I first started out with Essential Oils. There's still a bit left but don't want to use anymore.

That's all for this month. Cheers.