Adventures of a Tariq

I am still on the quest of looking for pink (light and dark) and this was a latest addition. It OBVIOUSLY isn't the real Lo'real, as you can see from the logo and the tube itself, but hey loved the color and it's long lasting! Okay so by long lasting I don’t mean it lasts up to like 5 to 6 hours. This little tube doesn't last longer than about 2 to 3 hours max. It’s a Pinkish pale matte touch for a lipstick but for me it does wonders so I kinda like it!

Rating: 3 Stars! 

My hands and feet dry out really quickly and it’s easy to make a straight line of white (showing dryness just like the ads) on them when I scratch. To counter this I have used many different brands here (yes for this I am not exactly brand loyal, if one ends another option is searched out!) but so far I like the way ‘Vaseline’ Intensive Care has worked out for me. I am currently using the Vaseline Cocoa Radiant, that has the natural ingredient under the name of ‘pure cocoa butter’.

It is a known fact that Vaseline is a product by Unilever and has been in the market for quite a few decades now. The brand does have a lot of other product extensions under its name but for me so far cocoa butter has worked the best.

The cream is easy to pour/squeeze and is a light yellowish liquid that is non greasy (once on skin) and has a nice cocoa fragrance to it. I have also noticed that over a week of its use has given me hands and arms that are soft and smooth and once it is absorbed it is non greasy as well. So I can safely say that for me it literally not only hydrates the skin but moisturizes it is as well.

If you are looking for a simple, cheap and effective moisturizer then yes Vaseline is one of the safest bets that are present.

Rating: 4 stars!

Thanks to the extensive traveling I did these two months my skin had become really weird with dark spots that had appeared out of the blue. So I started using my mom’s cream called ‘Fade Out’ and must say it has worked well for me. Even though it is a day cream that has SPF-15 but I use it regularly at night before sleeping.

The white colored cream, in a small white glass jar, has a sweetish fragrance and it sort of tastes sweet as well (yes accidently licked it when I managed to apply it to my lips as well). I apply it at night because it is high in moisture and tends to be greasy on the face as well so I can sleep it off. Yes in the morning when I wake there is a bit of a greasy feel on my face but, once washed it gives a nice soft look and feel (nice soft chubby cheeks that I have are maintained :D).

This cream for my oily skin is a definite no in the mornings (even though it actually is a ‘protecting day cream’) but for the night it has been the best for my skin.

For this I would recommend that you should do a test run (if you try it to see if it suits your skin) before you apply it because it did work well for me (even if I use it at night!).

Rating: 4 stars!

I got the bundle deal (like literally I went crazy shopping) from The Vitamin Company when they had their 50% sale on Facebook, and got this skin glow product for a glowing look when I go out for formal functions. Well the ‘Skin Glow’ from The Vitamin Company that is said to be a natural formula for instant healthy glow are small pink capsules that are oil based. One capsule is enough for the whole face (obviously). This oily liquid is easy to apply all you have to do it cut the tip and massage the oil in your palms before applying it on the face (I know many people who have done stupider things, like drinking it as well :D).  

The liquid is good and gives a literal instant shine and glow to the face but it does make me feel like I have a layer of oil on my face till it actually gets absorbed within the skin, also another downside of this is that is gives me acne if I use it regularly.

Though I love it a lot and want to use it regularly since I have oily skin I can’t use it that much (sadly). Wouldn’t recommend this for regular use especially for those with a T zone or really oily skin.

Rating: 3 stars!

On a recent visit to a cosmetic store near to my house, I ended up drooling (literally) at this offer that they had on Maybelline lipsticks. Now most of you may be thinking that a local shop offering Maybelline, either the product is fake or there is some kind of a problem with them, well I would agree with you but at that point impulse won and I added three new beauties to my list.

These three beauties are the ‘Citrus Slice’, ‘Cherry pop’ and the ‘Pink lollipop’. There are all transparent jelly sort of sticks with bright colors (orange, cherry red and glitter pink) with fragrances that resemble the said fruits as well). They come in complete funky neon lipstick tubes that are some may consider as ‘tacky’ but I loved them. Now yes your assumptions are somewhat correct because all three are more like lip balms with no color AT ALL. You literally have to have white lips if you want to see any color on them. They work as good lip balms but tend to wear off very soon and have to be constantly reapplied. On the whole this purchase it typically an impulse buy so I can’t say much to it and plus I’ll be honest, it was their colors that attracted me before anything else.

So if you have paper white lips or are looking for branded lip balms this is your best bet.

Rating: 2 Stars!

I have been told by my dermatologist that I really need to apply sunblock at all times when I leave the house, so this time I have been trying the ‘SunOff Plus’ sunblock (SPF-60). This is a whitish cream that requires hardly 2 to 3 drops that spreads out well on the face. The only issue is that I sweat a lot so after about a good 5 to 10 minutes my forehead is always dripping white sweat!! (sorta sick I know).

The sunblock itself is good and I haven’t tanned yet so I’m happy with that!L.

Since I am supposed to wash my face about twice daily (one in the morning and one in the evening), it really does protect me from the sun and dust (trust me the mucky water I see when I wash my face is proof of that!!). Also as per the claim it literally is non-greasy because it merges into the skin once it is applied, however yes it is a bit oily (on my T zone) and so makes my face kind of shine, but then that can be accounted to the fact that I sweat a lot

This sunblock by far has been better than many that I have used so far and I like the way it kind of just gets into my skin and protects from the sun!

It’s a must use for everyday for those of you who want to protect your skin from the harsh rays of the sun (especially now-a-days considering the weather of Karachi)!

Rating: 4 stars!

I usually scrub my faces about 2 to 3 times a week to remove all the dirt and grime that I collect over the week. Now I know that scrubbing leaves the skin clear of all dirt and gives it a bit of a dry feel (at least for a while since I have oily skin). I have been using a number of brands for my face scrub, and one of which I really liked is the ‘St Ives’ Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. True to its word, the scrub literally does deeply exfoliate and once washed off leaves the skin smooth and dry. (I also feel that I can easily remove blackheads after a good scrub do you all agree?).

It is as known fact that ‘St Ives’ has been in the market for quite a few decades and its product offerings are the best. For me, I am in this this Apricot Scrub that I’m telling you all about. It is literally good for the skin, the granules in it tend to do a clean sweep of the face (don’t scrub to hard as the granules do tend to feel a bit harsh on the skin otherwise). Once it is washed off the skin feels cleaner and more glowing. Also for me I feel it makes me a shade fairer than I am since my skin tone is wheatish).

PS. I also use this when I am doing my own pedicure at home, it makes my feet really clean and honestly removes the tan of them making them whitish as well.

Definitely recommended for all to try. I love it hope you guys will too!

Rating: 4 stars!

I am absolutely in love with the Oriflame ‘Optimals’ white balancing toner! It is so good that I have literally finished 3 bottles in 2 months! This toner has become like an absolute necessity for me because I have really oily skin. It works really well at removing the dirt and dust that I usually collect on my face on my way home from work, but it also manages to make my skin feel clean and visibly tends to shrink my pores (but this happens for about only half an hour or so). It definitely does give my skin a soft glow and has also helped in reducing my acne problem as well.

I know it’s true that with so many creams and other beauty products what’s the use of a toner, but seriously if you apply this at night before sleeping it really does benefits to the skin and gives a fresh look when you wake-up the next morning!

So the best way I use this is to wash my face at night with a good facewash, pat dry face with towel (but I use tissues) then take a square cot

ton ball soaked with the toner and massage it on my face in gentle circles for a good 3 minutes and Viola! I have the desired results.

Will definitely recommend this to all because it works on all skin types (I’ve used this on my niece and she has normal skin, it worked for her as well).

Rating: 5 stars!

So I’m back with yet another update on this blackhead remover that I have used recently called ‘Peel Off Mask”. Now I’ve used it twice so far and I haven’t seen any positive results (it does sort of wax off the little fuzzy hair on the face though). This peel off mask that is pitch black thanks to the main ingredient that is ‘Bamboo Charcoal’, claims to give a whitening effect maintaining the moisture balance, but so far I haven’t seen any of that happening.

It’s not that easy to apply because the mask is very liquid and tends to slip a lot. The fragrance is nice sort of like fresh leaves after a rain the good thing is that one you do apply it, it doesn’t drip off the face! Once applied (a thick coat that is the slimmer the coat the harder it is to peel off) it dries off in about 15 to 20 minutes and can be peeled off. The only problem is my blackheads still remain and the only as mentioned before the fuzzy minute hair gets waxed off!

Personally I won’t recommend this to anyone, but I guess it depends on your skin type and your own choice of products. As for me I know that this product is a no no for me and I really need to try out some other brand!

Rating: 2 stars (cause it waxes :D)

Have started using this lip Balm by ‘Labello’ called the ‘Strawberry Shine’. Though I’m not really a lip balm loyalist (have tried all from lip smacker to all local brands) I like this the best since my best friend introduced me to this! If I quote the website it will stand true to its words that it actually does give a ‘touch of delicate colour and prettifies your lips with a soft shine’. The only problem is I have really dry lips and so I have to re-apply the balm constantly (almost after every half an hour or so). Other than that it really is good with the fruity strawberry smell and the soft feeling it gives (while it lasts that is :D)

I absolutely love fragrances! It doesn’t matter if they are perfumes or body sprays I just love the way they merge with your skin and give of a scent that is awesome! Now my sister always complains or states that I like fruity or flowery scents but honestly I just love scents (or fragrances) that are appealing no matter that the brand.

Now for quick fix solutions I usually have body sprays of different known and unknown brands that do the trick for me. Currently I am using ‘Sweet Pea Body Splash’ from ‘Body Signatures’ a body spray that has this sweet (literally) floral scent that gives a sort of vanilla essence mixed with flowers sort a smell. Since I don’t stick to any particular brands for me this is a good to go and one of the essentials that I keep in my bag while at work or simply going out with friends.

The pricing is reasonable (Under Rs. 500) and the scent lasts for a good 3 to 4 hours (depending on where you are and how much you sweat :D)!

So I got this hand cream from a salon in Islamabad by the name of “Royli” and though I have no idea what the name is so I am sharing the pic of the hand cream cause it really is good! The fragrance is of roses and true to its word it really does hydrate the hands and make them smooth and soft.  The cream is in a tube and its easy to squeeze out and simply apply without it getting oily or to sticky. My skin is somewhat dry so it really gets quickly absorbed and doesn’t give an oily feeling!

About Royli

Royli’s Salon is a full-service beauty salon dedicated to consistently providing high customer satisfaction by rendering excellent service, quality products, and furnishing an enjoyable atmosphere at an acceptable price/value relationship. We also maintain a friendly, fair, and creative work environment, which respects diversity, ideas, and hard work.

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