Tuesday Tales - The Body Shop Haul

Hello all you Beautiful people of the Internet !

It’s lazy Tuesday evening . Yes, I know that expression.. You’re probably wondering how I can something so audacious at the beginning of the week ! Well, those are the perks of being in the Retail Industry. Tuesdays are my Mecca.. My love/hate relationship.. My weekend ! It’s the off day in the Market where I work. There are days when I am feeling extremely blue about that situation.. specially on Saturdays and Sundays when all my corporate friends are going out for brunches and partying in the evenings but then hey you don’t get it all.. They don’t get to love Mondays like I do ! And that is not something I can say for everybody ;) .. Sure. Its tough finding some good company on Tuesday, who can go out with me and that sometimes makes me detest Tuesdays being Offdays but but then, days like today more than make up for it.

I spent the better half of my morning lying in front of the TV like a SLOB and watched 2 back to back movies on Romedy Now ( Well thank god for that channel  ! ) at the same time stuffing myself with chips ! Ah well its my only lazy day.. gotta do justice by them :D. Post that, I took a nice long shower and painted my nails a nice Corally Orange. Have a look at the photo and tell me what you think ;).

In the evening I went with my mom to mall where I couldn't help myself at The Body Shop store. So for those of you, who do not know, I am an ardent TBS Fan. Specially their Shower Gels, Lotions, Tea Tree Range and basically the entire Skin Care and Grooming range. I haven’t experimented much with their Make Up but their Skincare products are totally my weakness. So my visit to the store brings me to this post today about My The Body Shop Haul !

First Off, I purchased ,The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion – Now, I have used the Tea Tree Face Wash by Body Shop in Gel as well as in Foam Finish but this is my first stint with the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion. My mom who has an extremely oily skin usually swears by it. My skin is mostly combination with an oily T Zone and some small dry patches on my cheeks occasionally, so it is important for me to moisturize it but at the same time make sure the lotion does not leave my skin too shiny. The product seemed light on my skin when I tried it.. almost weightless. Lets see how it does after continued use.. I shall keep you guys posted !

Price – INR 995 for 50 ML

Secondly, I purchased The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream in shade 02 which is medium. I am an NC 25 in MAC terminology however, the SA there was positive that 02 would be better for my face as compared to 01 because BB Creams in general tend to whiten out your complexion a little and besides when I did try on both on either sides of my faces, 02 did look like it blended in better on me. Prior to this, I was using the Maybelline BB Cream which I wasn’t sure was doing much for oiliness after 1-2 hours and since summers are here, my skin, specially my T Zone will be producing oil enough to fry pakoras in it !

Price – INR 1095 for 40 ML

Lastly, I purchased The Body Shop Moringa Sorbet, which was an impulse buy for me ! Every time I visit the TBS store, I literally have to be pulled away from the Bathing Range.  Body Butters, Bath Gets, Body Polishes, Shower Creams, Shower Gels, I have practically tried them all from TBS and mostly have loved them all. My Favourite fragrances are Satsuma and Moringa which is why I thought of picking up this much talked about Body Sorbet in Moringa. The Sorbet is claimed to be different from the regular Lotions in terms of its formulation and how it feels on the skin. It moisturises the skin and at the same time leaves it feeling fresh and light without any sticky residue. I look forward to using more of this product this season and seeing how it fares for my normal body skin type.

Price – INR 795 for 200 ML

Well that, about sums up my Mini Haul from The Body Shop. If you guys are interested in reading reviews about any of these products, do comment below and I shall be happy to write a detailed review. On a totally different note, thank god for Membership Cards, at least I get back a 10% discount on every purchase I make for a year and since the day seems to be treating me well.. I am not even going to begin calculating how much that amounts to ! :X

Now that I have done some shopping, stuffed myself, done my nails and even said hello to you all, I think I am going to go back to the world of Romantic Comedy at Romedy Now for a few hours, before I call it a day ! Sigh, It has been a productive Off day indeed !

Laters ! Much Love !

K-Drama for Beginners

Hello People !

How are you all doing today ?! Its beginning of the week and I hope you are feeling as bright, as chirpy and as pumped up as I am to face the rest of the week ! ..... NOT !!!! Ugh.. why why why.. The only days worse than Mondays are well.. Non Vacation Days , Dry Days and well Period Days ! I bet you are smiling your I-can-totally-relate-to-this smile right now ;)

So for me, there are a couple of things that make my Mondays more bearable. There's coffee dates with my besties, shopping, writing, a good read, a nice rom com and my latest favorite .. *drumrolls*.. episode after episode after episode of K Drama /  Korean Drama. No I do not know Korean and Yes, watching a drama with the help of subtitles can be quite challenging at first but believe you me.. The K Drama Ride is one that you get on and just wouldn't want to get off !! I started watching Korean Drama when I stumbled upon one of those on Youtube and was I hooked ! Its been 8-10 months and I feel myself being sucked deeper and deeper into the Quicksand nature of these Dramas. So much so that my besties think that I have actually found soul food for my alter personality which they are convinced is Korean ! So today I have put together for you all the pointers for a Beginner's Guide To K Drama and without further ado, I present to you all.....


Points To Keep In Mind Prior to watching Korean Drama

• K Series are shorter as compared to other series and do not go on with multiple seasons coming your way. On an average, these series comprise of 16 - 24 episodes which are each about an hour long.

Picture Credits : Tumbler

• It takes about 2-3 episodes to get the basic gist of exactly what is happening so I would advise you to be a little patient when you're starting the series. I promise you it would be worth it if you stick it through the first few episodes.

Picture Credits : Tumbler

• K Dramas are slower in pace as compared to the regular American Drama. More so if we are talking with respect to the Romantic Aspect. There is minimal Public Display Of Affection and things develop between people at a snails pace. That can be accounted for probably by the Korean Culture which is comparatively conservative as opposed to the Bold Western culture. However, if you are an old school Romantic at heart like me you will like the feeling of anticipation these dramas bring. You will find a lot of Piggy Bag rides, Sharing meals as opposed to the heavy PDA and sex scenes we witness .

Picture Credits : Tumbler

• These dramas are capable of taking you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I am not even kidding when I say that there are times they will make you bawl your eyes out during an emotional scene. Not in all but mostly K Drama features actors which are sooo soo good at what they do that they totally make you feel the character !

Picture Credits : DramaFever

• Unless you know Korean, the only option to watch dramas is to watch them with subtitles. Though it can be a little annoying and may take some time to get used to, after 1 or 2 series it wouldn't feel so difficult !

Picture Credits : Tumbler

• There are a number of websites where you can find substantial amount of K Drama with subtitles like Netflix, DramaFever, Viki. However sites like DramaFever and Viki do not work in a few countries. You can also try WatchSeries and Youtube.

Okay ! So now that we have all that covered, I am sure you are all set to start watching K Drama. Stay Tuned guys because in my next post, I will be sharing with you my list of the Top 5 K Dramas for beginners !

Hope you all have a great week ahead. Much Love !

Damsel with Distressed Dry Hair - Product Review - Forest Essentials Mashobra Wild Honey & Vanilla Hair Conditioner - Part 3

Annyeonghaseyo Everyone ! 

So in case you are wondering what that is, it means Hello, Hope you are doing well in Korean ! No it isn't cause I'm bored with the regular Hi's and Hello's .. Honestly its cause I have been bitten by the K-drama bug. Sigh ! Totally Totally awesome.. some of the K-Dramas are so addictive, its tough to take a break to even sleep. I can simply go on and on about how very awesome K-Drama is ... maybe I ll do exactly that in my next post ! :P 

So before you all get tired of my rant, lets move on to the last part of our 3 step mini series of Damsel with Distressed Hair Regime, where today I shall be reviewing the Forest Essentials Hair Conditioner Mashobra Wild Honey & Vanilla.

For all of you who are new here, please refer to the following links for Step 1 and Step 2.

Step 1

Step 2

STEP 3 - Conditioner - Hair Conditioner Mashobra Wild Honey & Vanilla

Product Claims - Forest Essentials Hair Conditioners contain Almond and Jojoba oil along with Coconut oil derivatives provides nourishment in the form of essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. Herbs like Hibiscus, Brahmi and Henna are amongst the well known herbs in Ayurveda for hair health. Antioxidant properties of well known herbs like Brahmi and Henna improve hair growth, quality and colour. Bhringraj is excellent for hair growth, strengthens the hair, nourishes and prevents dandruff. Heena provides conditioning, natural shine as well as strength to the roots of hair. Mashobra Honey absorbs impurities, making it an ideal cleansing agent while Vanilla is an excellent stress reliever. 

Product Ingredients - Coconut Oil Derivatives 25%, Reetha 5%, Soya Protein 2%, Shikakai 2%, Bay Leaf Oil 1%, Bhringaraj 0.5%, Thyme 0.5%, Lechithin 0.5%, Organic Honey 0.4%, Heena 0.2%, Vanilla Extract 0.05%, Imidazolidinyl Urea ( Paraben free) 0.5%, Base QS

Packaging and Quantity -The Product comes in a 200 ML Spray Bottle form for INR 875. I bought the Travel Size Bottle which was 50 ML for INR 275. The travel packaging was easy to use and sturdy however since the Shampoo has thick consistency the Full Size Spray Bottle might be a little cumbersome to deal with. The bottles are extremely cute. I have Medium hair length, somewhere between my shoulders to my back. The Travel Size Quantity seems enough for about 6 - 7 uses.

The Product - The conditioner is off white in color with a slightly creamy texture. It is less thicker as compared to other conditioners in the market but is easy to work with and spreads easily throughout the strands. The product smells really good and the fragrance tends to linger for more than a day after the wash ! As far as conditioners go, this is a good product which does slightly reduce the frizziness of my hair and helps it smoothen a little. If I was to compare the results of this conditioner to other conditioners like perhaps Wella, Loreal or other Salon ranges then its effectiveness on taming the hair is considerably less as compared to those products. That however can be attributed to the fact that this product is chemical and parabens free as compared to those which are high on harsh chemicals. However with subsequent usage and regular oiling, the product can definitely help in taming dry hair.

Pros:

• The Fragrance is heavenly without being too pungent
• Easy to wash off and does not weigh the hair down
• Free of Harsh Chemicals and Parabens

Cons:

• The packaging is not very user friendly ( Full Size)
• Definitely heavy on the pocket specially for people with longer hair

Availability - The product is available throughout Delhi at a number of Forest Essentials Retail Store. Forest Essentials truly does pamper its customers when it comes to the final packaging of their products - Complete with Butter Paper, Dry Flowers and A nice Handmade paper HandBag. All the more reason, I love picking up stuff from their Retail Stores. Alternatively you can purchase their products online from their own website viz http://www.forestessentialsindia.com/ or even third party websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal etc.

Overall, the Mashobra Wild Honey & Vanilla Conditioner is a good product for normal to dry hair. Although a little expensive on the pocket, it is definitely worth it when supplemented with regular oiling. If you are looking for a product which is mild and parabens free, you should definitely try this one. I would most probably purchase the full size and would rate the product a 4/5.

So that brings us to the end of this long post. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I liked writing about it. Any feedback/comments/suggestions are always welcome. For any queries or particular product review requests, you can also email me at carryonmania@gmail.com.

Much Love and Carry On ! <3

Damsel with Distressed Dry Hair - Product Review - Forest Essentials Mashobra Honey & Vanilla Hair Cleanser - Part 2

Hello, all you beautiful people of the Internet ! 

How are you all doing ? I have my weekly off today. Well yes, most people have weekends off but lesser mortals like me have a weekly off on Tuesday when the entire world is buried nose-deep in work ! Sigh ! At least, the malls are empty if I want to shop though :p 

So today I will be following through with a review on the second product from Forest Essentials which is the Step 2 of the Damsel with Distressed Hair Regime. For all those that are new here please go to the link below for Part 1.

Step 1

STEP 2 - Shampoo - Mashobra Honey & Vanilla Hair Cleanser 

Product Claims - Forest Essentials Hair Cleansers are specifically designed to cleanse your hair without any harmful after effects. Bhringraj, Reetha and Henna are well known in Ayurveda for hair. Actives from herbs like henna and thyme along with Lecithin provide natural cleansing with moisture and smoothness to make your hair clean with shine and manageability. Natural soap of Reetha gently cleanses the dirt and excess oil from hair. Ingredients like Bay leaf oil and Bhringaraj act as hair tonics to promote hair growth.

Product Ingredients - Coconut Oil Derivatives 25%, Reetha 5%, Soya Protein 2%, Shikakai 2%, Bay Leaf Oil 1%, Bhringaraj 0.5%, Thyme 0.5%, Lechithin 0.5%, Organic Honey 0.4%, Heena 0.2%, Vanilla Extract 0.05%, Imidazolidinyl Urea ( Paraben free) 0.5%, Base QS

Packaging & Quantity - The Product comes in a 200 ML Spray Bottle form for INR 775. I bought the Travel Size Bottle which was 50 ML for INR 250. The travel packaging was easy to use and sturdy however since the Shampoo has thick consistency the Full Size Spray Bottle might be a little cumbersome to deal with. The bottles are extremely cute. I have Medium hair length, somewhere between my shoulders to my back. The Travel Size Quantity seems enough for about 6 - 7 washes. 

The Product - The Shampoo is a deep Amber in color, sort of like a shimmering Honey color and it smells Heavenly !! The product smells so so wonderful and even better is the fact that the fragrance lingers for a while even after your hair have dried . The shampoo is of a good consistency, neither too thick nor too runny. Since it does not contain any harsh chemicals, the shampoo lathers less than the usual shampoos however it does its job just fine. It is not too moisturizing and leaves the hair clean and light. However, the cleanser does little for the frizziness that comes from having dry hair, specially ends. It does not smooth out the hair as it claims and neither does it add shine to the hair specially if used on the hair without oiling or conditioning them.

Pros: 

• The Fragrance is heavenly without being too pungent
• Thoroughly cleanses hair without leaving behind residue
• Good for Normal Hair Type
• Mild Cleanser with no harsh chemicals
• Parabens Free

Cons:

• The packaging is not very user friendly ( Full Size)
• Definitely heavy on the pocket specially for people with longer hair
• Does not help with Smoothing of the Hair as claimed
• Does not Add any shine to the hair as claimed 
• Provides good results only if used with Conditioner 

Availability - The product is available throughout Delhi at a number of Forest Essentials Retail Store. Forest Essentials truly does pamper its customers when it comes to the final packaging of their products - Complete with Butter Paper, Dry Flowers and A nice Handmade paper HandBag. All the more reason, I love picking up stuff from their Retail Stores. Alternatively you can purchase their products online from their own website viz http://www.forestessentialsindia.com/ or even third party websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal etc.

Overall, its an okay product that though it smells great, does not do much for Dry/Damaged hair. It does what is expected out of any normal hair cleaner. I wouldn't buy the full product size and would rate the product a 3/5.

Thats it for today folks ! Next on the blog would be a review of the Final Product in this Range which is the Mashobra Wild Honey & Vanilla Hair Conditioner. Hope my post was helpful ! Meanwhile, request you guys to please let me know if you have any questions/suggestions/comments. You can also email me at carryonmania@gmail.com. Hope you all have a great week ahead !

Much Love and Carry on ! <3

Damsel with Distressed Dry Hair - Product Review - Forest Essentials Bhringraj Hair Vitalizer - Part 1

So I was born with perfect hair. Period. 

Now before you tag me as Lying Brag-ster and stop reading further hear me out ! Its true, I was born with great hair. In mom's words "A white puff of cotton ball with jet black healthy hair". So what happened, you ask ? The rad trend of Ironing ones hair! Yes well, that happened. Now all the folks here who are 20 above would relate to me when I say that way before products like Heat Protectants had hit the market and Ironing rods were so easily available.. yes the late 90's I believe, salons in India used Irons ( Yes, I mean the ones used to iron clothes) to give people the poker straight shiny tresses we all drool over ! Right again, like a dimwit that I can be at times.. I subject my hair to a punishment which was no less than being beaten Black and Blue and left hung out to dry. As if that was not enough, the ascend of hot irons and curlers coupled with my persistent dimwittedness has left me with hair which are now Thin and Limp as opposed to the previous Thick mane, Dull as opposed to the previous Shiny ponytail, Dry - specially the ends and scarily a few strands which have even turned Wirelike !! :'(

Now maybe not in entirety but a lot of you can relate to the deteriorating condition of your hair due to a number of factors which create havoc, a small list of which is as follows:

1) Not Oiling regularly

2) Use of Heated Ironrods/Curlers

3) Over use of Hair Dryers 

4) Unhealthy Diets/Crash Diets 

5) Frequent Shampooing 

6) Use of Harsh Products 

7) Backcombing too frequently 

8) Hormonal Disorders

9) Hard Water

Now there are a tonne of Home Remedies which are available not just on the internet but within the confines of our house ( Read : Nagging Moms, Nanis and Dadis). However these remedies although they bring about great results also require persistence, patience and can be extremely time consuming. Apart from these home remedies it is very important to opt for products which are not harsh on the hair, consist of the least number of chemicals and are effective enough to be used as cleansers frequently.

My review today will be about the range of products by Forest Essentials for Normal to Dry Hair.

Forest Essentials as most of you would be aware is a chemical free, Luxury Ayurvedic Brand. Their products are made of naturally distilled pure essential oils, pure cold pressed seeds, organically grown vegetable oils and plant extracts so the products are least likely to react negatively to any hair type ( In most cases). Since I was trying the range for the first time, I picked up Travel Sized bottles of the entire range, the first step of which is reviewed below. Step 2 and Step 3 are in consequent entries/posts. 

STEP 1 - Hair Oil - Forest Essentials Bhringraj Hair Vitalizer 

Product Claims : Forest Essentials Bhringraj Hair Vitalizer is designed to stimulate hair growth and restore vitality of hair. This multi functional hair vitalizer is enriched with Ayurvedic herbal extracts which deliver optimal anti-breakage benefits and strengthen hair follicles. It is a clear light honey colored liquid which can be sprayed on the scalp every day between shampoos. Non sticky and easy to use. It’s benefits include stimulating hair growth, improving the structure and increasing volume of the hair and strengthening the hair to resist damage. 

Product Ingredients - Bhringraj Extract, Hibiscus Extract, Amla Fruit Extract, Aloevera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Fenugreek Seed Extract, Organic Pea Sprout Extract, Arnica Extract

Packaging and Quantity - The Product comes in a 100 ML Spray Bottle form for INR 750. I bought the Travel Size Bottle which was 50 ML for INR 325. The packaging was easy to use and sturdy. The bottles are extremely cute. I have Medium hair length, somewhere between my shoulders to my back. The Travel Size Quantity seems enough for about 8 - 10 uses.  

The Product - The product itself is non sticky and light. Not a lot of product needs to be applied. Since it is Ayurvedic, the smell is a little putrid, specially while applying it to the hair. However, after a while its not so bad. The oil is perfectly moisturizing and worked well with my Normal - Dry Hair. It also did not make me breakout like other oils too. Thicker oils like Olive Oil and coconut oil tend to drab onto my face and lead to break outs and pimples. However, the Bhringraj Hair Vitalizer did not disappoint me at all. Ideally it works best if applied overnight however in last minute cases, you can also apply it for two hours prior to shampooing. Make sure to massage the oil well into the scalp and the roots using your fingers in circular motions. 

Pros :  

• Light and Non Sticky
• Does not cause Breakouts 
• Consists of a lot of organic products good for the hair 
• 100% Natural - Parabens Free
• Comes off easily and does not leave behind residue
• Reduces Hairfall
• Does not freeze in the hair or even during winters 

Cons:

• Smell can be a put off to some
• A little pricey on the pocket for the given quantity 

Availability - The product is available throughout Delhi at a number of Forest Essentials Retail Stores. Forest Essentials truly does pamper its customers when it comes to the final packaging of their products - Complete with Butter Paper, Dry Flowers and A nice Handmade paper HandBag. All the more reason, I love picking up stuff from their Retail Stores. Alternatively you can purchase their products online from their own website viz http://www.forestessentialsindia.com/ or even third party websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal etc.

Verdict  - Overall a really good hair product for Normal to Dry hair types which leaves the hair softer and smoother after wash. I would definitely buy this product again and would rate it a 4.5/5.

Thats it for today folks ! I shall be reviewing Step 2 next, which is the Forest Essentials Mashobra Honey & Vanilla Hair Cleanser in my next post. Meanwhile, request you guys to please let me know if you have any suggestions/comments/questions ! You can also email me at carryonmania@gmail.com

Much Love and Carry On ! <3

Hola !

Hello all you beautiful people out there !

I am 24, from New Delhi, India. 

I would give out my name, but then hey.. whats in the name eh ?

A true Gemini at heart, I am avidly social and communication seems to be one of my biggest interests which has led to the birth of this Blog. Apart from that the following keep me going :  

• Reading - Fiction mostly, yes I am a Book Monster who can demolish fiction novels at the speed of 1-2 novels a day :P, 

• Travelling - I don't get to travel half of how much I'd like to though, part of which can be blamed on my profession..I am currently managing an Interior Decor Store in Delhi itself :D, 
• Beauty and Fashion - Well, I am no Glam diva but hey in the words of Helena Rubinstein - "There are no ugly women, just lazy ones" ;). 

I am also passionate about Writing and indulge in writing poems and articles - some of which I shall be posting soon. I intend for this to be a generic blog more along the lines of Lifestyle Blogging and so I believe it would be legit of you to expect Book Reviews, Product Reviews, Remedies, Outfit Details, Self Written Articles/Poems and you might be subject to a little bit of Ranting too !

There, now that we have taken care of the orderly part of the introductions, in a nutshell I am an Economics Graduate, An Aspiring Entrepreneur, A multitask-er, Someone with an Annoying Annoying habit of getting bored too easily, Trinket Hoarder, Someone who gets attracted to beautiful things/packaging like Bees to Honey ! AND a Hopeless, Incurable and Irrevocable Romantic at heart ! Yes, Guilty ! *goes and hides face*

Since this is my first shot at Blogging, I really appreciate all the people who have taken out time to visit my blog and shown interest in it. 

I warmly welcome you all to this part of my world and I hope you shall enjoy it as much as I do.