Chiconomical

New years are all about resolutions and so is the very first Fab Bag of 2016! This is actually the last fab bag in my subscription and for a girl who is on a shopping ban, it was like getting a little piece of cake when on a strict diet! Oh yes, this month's bag has a cute off white bag with cartoon make pieces on it. Sadly mine was very dusty and I wish it wasn't because it really is a very pretty pouch. So lets see what the new year's brought...


1. Votre Face Serum: Rs. 1670 for 12 ml

This is the first full sized product and for someone who had to google what a face serum is (yes, I'm not that well versed with makeup) this is a nice little treat. It comes with a dropper type bottle which almost remind me of those eye drops bottles. But I don't mind that because it checks all the ticks in my skincare checklist, viz, non-comedogenic, hyper allergenic, dermatologically tested and natural! Yes, I'm quite excited about using this and seeing if it has some significant results.

2. Natural Bath and Body - Red Clay Mask & Vit. E Whipped Cream: Rs. 90 for 20 gm and Rs. 82.5 for 15 ml respectively:

Yet another natural product these two are supposed to give you heavenly skin and are suitable for sensitive skin. The whipped cream has the yummiest citrusy lemony smell and they're supposed to be used together for best results. Both are made of natural or organic products and I can't wait to try them.

3. Ayorma Spa Daily Scrub & Face Wash: Rs. 44.64 for 8 ml and Rs. 27.92 for 8 ml

I've used the ayorma night cream before and while I wasn't impressed with its results. (See review here) I have heard people recommend these two and the sample size is perfect for my recently busy travel schedules. They're both free of paraben preservatives and promise a spa like experience at home.

4. Bellapierre Mineral Lipstick (Ruby): Rs. 1500

So I recently lost my favorite red lipstick and this is a heaven sent. I actually had a chance to select one beauty product and since I'm in my quest to find the perfect red lipstick I opted for this. I've used it once and while it isn't very long lasting, it has a rich color and doesn't bleed.


And that's my January 2016 Fab Bag. Overall, I'm quite happy with the products this month. I still wish there were more makeup products. For a beauty bag, there's usually just a lot of skincare in the bag. As for renewing my subscription, I'm still not 100% sure. Time will tell if I renew it.

Night Creams...hmm...what are they?

Yep. That's been my reaction for almost all my life. However, with the arrival of the Ayorma Fairness & Cell Renew Night Cream in my Fab Bag last month, I've decided to give them a go. First of, I'm most certainly not an expert on beauty and skincare routines but then if you wanted that, you'd shell out to go see said expert. All I can offer is a first hand account of my experience.



Ayorma Fairness & Cell Renew Night cream is first of, and this is my favorite thing about it, paraben free and made from natural ayurvedic ingredients.

Well, open the box and my very first impression was that it smelled herby. I have a tendency to smell all products before I use them. You do it too right? No? Erm...okay then. Next, the texture and the skin feel test (yeah I totally made that name up). The texture is quite smooth and creamy which is what I expected. It glides well on the skin and most importantly, gets absorbed easily. Yep, it doesn't feel oily or heavy on the skin which is a big plus!

So does it stand the test of time? Well, I've been using it for a week now. Do I look like I could play the lead in My Fair Lady? Not really. However, it doesn't clog my pores and while it did tingle when applied to my freshly scrubbed face, its quite possible that's due to my recent breakouts. I frankly haven't seen any major improvements. I do find my skin feeling softer when I wake up every morning so maybe it takes more than a week to see changes.

Finally? Will I spend my hard earned cash on it? Probably not.  Now, I had a trial sized sample and maybe it takes more than that to see some real improvement. Having said that, I wish it didn't smell so herb like. That is one of the main reasons why I don't think I can stand using it forever. My brain instantly thinks its a balm and lets face it, nobody wants to put balm on their whole face.

Pros

• Paraben Free
• All Natural and Ayurvedic Ingredients
• Very Light
• Not at all Oily on the Skin
• Doesn't clog pores

Fab Bag. Haven't heard about it? Well, you probably don't read many beauty blogs because over the last few months, Fab Bag reviews have become almost a religion. A Fab Bag is essentially a bag (well, its more like a pouch really), filled with full sized and sample sized luxury beauty products that you can try out for a fraction of the cost. Oh, and they're supposedly handpicked for each individual subscription. Sounds good right? Personally, I was never very fascinated with the descriptions of the bags till this month. Turns out, judging a bag by its description is a big mistake!


This month's Fab Bag has a theme of "Up Your Game". Well, you'd think it would have things that can help you improve your beauty regime right (Something that I really do need help with!). Wrong!!! This month's bag is essentially disconnected with what the theme suggests. The contents were random at best and the one (yes, for a beauty bag, I only got one makeup product) concealer I got, wasn't even my skintone. So much for "customised"!

Well, onto what all I received after a rather poor experience with their Customer Care (more on that later):

Lollipops Paris Matte Concealer - Ginger: Rs. 800



The most expensive and most disappointing item for me, this concealer is the wrong shade for me and has almost an orange undertone. The applicator gets stuck everytime I try to remove it which just becomes very frustrating. I shall try and use it soon, but overall I don't have much hope of using this in the future.

Kama Ayurveda Pure Rose Water: Rs. 250

I read that this month, you could choose your full size skincare product. Well, first of all, I wasn't ever asked for a choice and second of all, this wasn't communicated to me at all. However, this bottle is going to come in quite handy for those long days that just call for a little rose water sprayed over my eyes (read ever alternate day these days).

Ayorma Fairness & Cell Renew Night Cream: Rs. 195

I don't have much of a skincare routine (I can just hear the gasps right now) so this little tub is a nudge to start a nightly routine. I like that its natural but I still have no verdict on the results. I shall write my views once I've used it for a week or so.

Seasoul Dead Sea Minerals & Botanicals Massage Candle: Rs. 300

By far the most interesting thing in this month's bag. A massage candle...Erm, confused? Yep. So here's what it is. Basically, its a candle that you light and enjoy aroma associated with those spas we all love...and once the candle melts, you use the oil for a massage for the full spa experience. I like how its almost a whole spa in a tiny glass. I haven't lit it yet, but it smells great (yes, I smelled the box multiple times, just trying to make the most of the scent lingering there cos you know, that's the way the cool kids do it).

Well, those were my quick tips to #ComeCloser to naturally radiant skin! What are yours? Do you do something else? Tell me in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you!