Tag: Skincare

April 2021 Boxwalla Box featuring Twelve Beauty

April 27th, 2021
Hi Fam!

I received my Boxwalla Box for the month of April and wanted to share my thoughts on it! If you don’t know, Boxwalla is a subscription based company that sends out Beauty Boxes every other month. They have other options like book subscriptions, etc.

I have tried one product from Twelve Beauty before which is the brand’s Lip Oil! I loved the packaging and the ingredients but thought I’d wait to try more from the brand as I knew this box was being released.

Twelve Beauty is a Spanish brand and aims to combine the potency of nature with skin-safe science. The founder comes has a combined background in pharmacy, botany, and cosmetology. The brand is especially known for creating products for folks with sensitive, reactive, and stressed out skin.

This month’s box includes two products a the price of $49.95, while the actual retail is $287 (which is a lot)!

The first product is the Twelve Beauty Intelligent Frontier Oil- 1oz (retail value @ $215).
- This is a lightweight Oil, which absorbs pretty fast, but is really soothing an has antioxidant properties
- It’s been known to help with repairing the skin’s barrier
- The oil is made in a base of Meadowfoam and Sacha Inchi Oils
- The scent is very very mild, and almost undetectable and whenever I put this on my skin, it feels nourished
The second product is the Twelve Beauty Nutritive Repair Emulsion (retail value @ $72)
- This has a semi-matte finish, and is truly a quick absorbing cream
- The cream is great for soothing sensitive skin that is stressed out
- Has ingredients like Spelt Grain Wax, Shea Butter Extract, Glycerin
- Has a slight medicinal scent
Overall, I don’t know what I was expecting with this box, but it has helped heal my skin in so many ways. I was dealing with extremely dry skin due to the allergies here in CA, and my skin felt really tight no matter how many hydrating products I added and how much I exfoliated. Then, this box got delivered to my doorstep last week and I added these products into my rotation immediately, and I noticed a HUGE difference the next day itself in terms of dryness.

I have a feeling it’s the moisturizer that’s doing the trick, as I have been using it everyday. This has truly been a surprise for me, because I don’t like semi-matte moisturizers and prefer more dewy ones! And, I never thought it would do much for me.

It’s a great time to treat yourself to this box, as I think this past year has definitely taken a toll on our skin!

Today is the last day to subscribe to this box, and if you can get your hands on it, I would highly recommend it! Here is the link if you are interested : https://www.theboxwalla.com/product/beauty-box/.

-K
Favorite skincare discoveries of 2020

January 22nd, 2021

Hey Fam!

I wanted to round up a few skincare product discoveries that came my way in 2020. For me the last year was a chance to dive deeper into the notion of self-care, and a huge portion of that for me, is taking the time to indulge in a good skincare routine. I’ve always found having a good skincare routine to be really therapeutic.

The first discovery is the one above, which is the Inlight Face Cleanser. This is a balm cleanser, that doesn’t emulsify. After massaging a little into the skin, it needs to be removed with a warm washcloth. The scent on this is really alluring. It has hints of clove in it, which really come through. But, I LOVE taking the time to massage this into my skin. I’ve discovered quite a few products from their line, that I’ve come to love, so I’d definitely check the brand out.

The next discovery is the famous Kypris Antioxidant Dew. This product was really popular amongst a few Youtubers I follow, a few years ago. I never jumped on the bandwagon, but last summer I was looking for a serum that was more complex than just a basic hyaluronic acid serum, and I went ahead and tried it. It’s safe to say, that I really love this serum, and I even have backups. It has all the hydrating benefits one can ask for, plus a dose of Vitamin C. This product does not irritate my skin, whatsoever, and it just adds more plumpness to my skin. This is actually a pretty big sized bottle for a serum. Usually serums, come in at around 1oz, but this here is at about 1.67oz. So, this has already lasted me about 5 months, and I use it every evening.

My next favorite is the May Lindstrom, the honey mud. This mask was always part of the line, but the brand removed it for a year to reformulate it and bring it back in a more stable form to have a better shelf-life. The thing that stands out to me first and foremost, is the scent on this product. It is truly intoxicating and warm, and feels like a cozy blanket on the skin. It has some exfoliating properties to it, but it’s also hydrating at the same time. You can’t go wrong!

The last discovery of mine is the Bluh Alchemy Body Oil. This line is small, but they make some exquisite products. This body oil is so healing, and makes me feel immensely relaxed. The scent on this is warm, and exotic. The smell lingers on the skin for sometime, but it truly is beautiful! The other wonderful products from this line, that I would recommend are the Eye Serum, and the Vitamin C serum.

As always, if you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them down below, in the comments!

-K
August 2020 Skincare Empties

August 26th, 2020
Hi Fam!

It’s almost the end of the month, and so that means, it’s time to talk about my skincare empties for this month!
1. The Bluh Alchemy Eye Oil Serum. I received this in a Beauty Heroes box I had purchased at the beginning of the year, and it was a great way to try out this oil serum. I love that it has a rollerball, as it makes application much easier. But, the rollerball on this was a bit faulty though, and sometimes I would have to rigorously apply it to the back of my hand to get the product out. Otherwise, I loved it. It’s an amazing eye oil with Kakadu Plum, Green Tea Extract, and Caffeine which will help with brightening and de-puffing the eye area. There is a scent to this product, which I actually really loved. The oil is very gentle on the eye area and nourishing. I typically would apply this during my evening skin care routine. I haven’t re-purchased this yet, as I have a few others to get through, but it’s great one to pick up if you are in the market for a new eye oil!
2. Kahina’s Brightening Serum. I really loved this serum. I have a sensitivity towards Vitamin C serums, and while this has brightening properties, the serum did not irritate my skin in any way. It has ingredients like White Lily, Japanese Seaweed, Argan Oil, and much more to help brighten sun spots, and hyper pigmentation, etc. I already have gone ahead and repurchased this and would highly recommend.
3. May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon. This is hands down, one of my most favorite products on the planet, which is a big claim to make about a skincare product. But, I would buy this again in a heartbeat, and I have as well. Even though, my wallet cries at the price. The scent alone, has so many therapeutic benefits in my opinion and has worked many times to calm down my nerves. It has amazing ingredients like Blue Tansy, Marula Oil, Vanilla Extract, Lavender Oil, and many more. I have found this to help with the inflammation and redness in my skin and calm it down but also work towards healing my eczema as well. it looks solid when you open it, but it melts upon touch. It’s described as a balm-to-oil texture. I love it, and really I can’t say more!
4. May Lindstrom The Youth Dew. This is another one of those oils, that I have repurchased and will continue to have in my arsenal. This is a lovely golden-organge color, and the smell is fantastic. More so than that, it gives my skin this lovely glow, and hydration! It has helped with dark spots as well, and to keep breakouts at bay. While it is hydrating and a bit thicker in viscosity than a dry oil, it doesn’t clog pores. The amazing blend of ingredients in it include, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil CoQ10, Rosehip Oil, Jojoba Oil, Pomegranate Oil, and much more! I would highly recommend this oil if it is in your budget! You really cannot go wrong.
-Krutika
A facial oil that does it all. Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Oil

October 26th, 2016

Oils are a very tricky thing. They had a beautiful glow, and they are beneficial to your skincare overall. But there are also a lot of oils which don’t provide enough hydration or they have a lot of irritating ingredients.

This baby is the Drunk Elephant Marula Oil. Now, this retails for $72 for a 1oz bottle. But, this is the best oil that I have come across so far that does everything in terms of glow, hydration, moisture, and bringing your tired skin back to life. I also like that this is a non-comedogenic oil-which means i’s not going to break you out. This oil can also be mixed in with one of their serums, and the serums penetrate deeper into the skin. In other words, Marula oil is a great carrier oil.

Another great thing is there is no fragrance and other added ingredients that counter act with the pure marula oil. Which really is great for all of us sensitive gals. I also like that this comes in an opaque bottle so the liquid in the bottle isn’t broken down by the harmful rays of the sun.

I do not even have to use a second moisturizer if I use this. And, that’s saying something as I have dry skin. With all the other oils I have tried before, I have always needed to pair it with a moisturizer as the one oil would not cut it for me. But, omg, I love doing my skincare in the morning/night so I can use this. It just glides onto the skin and skins into it, without sitting on the top. And, the next morning you have baby soft skin. If you are in the market for a new oil, I HIGHLY recommend this. You can find this on drunkelephant.com, Sephora.com, and dermstore.com! Go grab it and tell me how it is.

-K
Tatcha Indigo Triple Recovery Cream

June 2nd, 2016

I have eczema that started over 16 years ago. Now with age, and changes in environment and food, I now get a little on my eyelid as well as forehead.

I do not use steroidal creams anywhere on my face as it WILL thin the skin out and damage it for good. Hence, I always look for natural, organic creams that will help.

But lately, nothing has been helping.

Tatcha was kind enough to send me a deluxe travel size of the Triple Recovery Cream, made with Japanese Indigo. This cream is actually approved by the National Eczema Association, and I can see why.

I do not use this cream everywhere on my face, as I think it is quite heavy, and tends to be a little sticky.

I ONLY use it on the areas where I have the eczema, and honest to God this has really helped toned down the redness and reduce the flakiness. This has been the only product that has really helped me topically in the last couple of months and I would definitely purchase it. The biggest ingredient that helps in my opinion is the Colloidal Oatmeal, which known to have a lot of healing and soothing properties.

The travel size retails for $30 and the full size is $135.. so think about it.

The cream itself has a light fragrance to it, which is not irritating and the color is a really nice light blue. The fragrance is similar to that of the other Tatcha products and is quite soothing. The packaging for the travel size is actually in a glass jar, which I thought was really nice and seems luxurious.

If you have eczema and have tried this, do let me know. This cream is really good overall, for sensitive dry skins. I have to say it does give a very beautiful glow if you apply it all over. And, when you wake up the next day and feel your skin, it is baby smooth. I kid you not.

Let me know if you have tried this before, or if you plan to pick it up!

-K
New Tatcha Goodness

May 13th, 2016

This came out today and I went ahead and purchased it. I already tried samples of it 2 weeks ago and totally loved it..

Review to come soon!!
Algenist REVEAL Color Correcting Radiant Primer

April 26th, 2016

Hi Everyone!

Hope you had a lovely weekend! I had not bought a new primer in a Long time, and since summer is coming and everyyyone wants that dewy/radiant glow.. I thought why not. let’s try out a radiant primer. AND, when I found out Algenist was a doing a skincare hybrid primer that was also color correcting.. I mean what doesn’t sound appealing about that.

So this retails for $36 for a 1oz tube. It comes in a matte black packaging that is absolutely gorgeous! I mean ya know me.. I am all about that matte black look. Now, this claims that it is a color correcting primer with a radiant finish. I am really not sure if this actually corrected anything in terms of color correcting. The primer comes out white and it has these fine micro beads that adjust to your skin tone.

And, it doesn’t have an extremely dewy finish. Yes, it does make your face come to life– but this primer is nothing like the Cover FX illuminating primer or the Becca Backlight Filter.

But, I have to say that my makeup stayed on much longer. For my skin type it has more of a matte finish but my makeup just wore much better.

I think oilier skin types will have much better luck with this palette. In fact, a lot of the raving reviews on Sephora.com for this product haev all come from more oilier skin types! So, if you do tend to have more problems with makeup staying on, or your skin is oily but you want a radiant finish without it being a oil slick– this might be your go to primer! Go check it out and let me know what you think!

-K
Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient Complex

February 17th, 2016

Hello Lovlies,

I am back with a new skincare discovery. I had always heard about Tata Harper and seen the bright green bottles in Sephora but never purchased any of her products. I was cleaning up my skincare stash and taking out the more nontoxic products. I had heard the famous beauty blogger Caroline Hirons raving about this product called the Nutrient Complex so I decided to give it a go.

My first reaction was, I cannot believe this .33oz rollerball costs $48!! But, I decided to buy it anyway since all the ingredients in it are %100 natural. The best thing about this line is that all the products are made in small batches on the Vermont farm.

Have I seen any difference with using this product? Yes. This is marketed as an oil serum, and yes, there has been a difference. My black spots have dramatically decreased and overall my skin is looking brighter. I noticed my makeup going on smoother as well. Now, the smell is something you have to get used to as its very strong, and floral. But, the thing about this fragrance is that you can tell its all natural. I find there is a difference between natural fragrances and synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances have a very plastic-y smell. I usually use this oil after I put on my regular face oil and moisturizer. I just seal everything with a few dabs of this on my problem areas

I like that this comes in a rollerball as you do not waste any product.

Would I repurchase it? I think so. I feel like my skin care step is now incomplete without this product.

Go ahead and check it out! You can find Tata Harper products on Sephora.com or tataharperskincare.com

-Krutika
Hydrating/Refreshing Facial Mists

June 26th, 2015

Well, since its like a 100 degrees outside, today is a no-makeup day. Most of the time, while at home, I tend to go bare faced and its a relief.

So on days like this, when you probably just want to have a constant jet of cold water pouring down your face (and let’s be honest, thats not practical either), I tend to use some hydrating mists to just perk up the complexion and to cool down a bit.

My number one favorite right now is the Caudalie Grape Water. Basically this a 100% grape water toner. It just refreshes the skin, and keeps it from being inflamed. Typically I also use this is a hydrating toner, after I use apple cider vinegar. But, this can also be used throughout the day to re-energize the skin. You can easily find this at Sephora and it retails from $10-$18.

Caudalie Grape Water

Some of the facial mists, tend to have an overload of essential oils which I avoid as they break me out and frankly a lot of them can be irritating to the skin even otherwise.

I would like to try the Fresh Rose Floral Toner next.. anyone try that yet?

-Krutika
Summer Essentials

June 25th, 2015

Hello Everyone!

Now is the time, when the weather is at is peak! Although it’s gorgeous outside with it being warm and sunny, let’s be honest- our makeup is probably sweating off this moment as we speak. So, in order for your makeup to stay put, I have figured out some essentials that are definitely needed in the hot weather.

1) Eye Shadow Primer- This is must if you want your eye shadow to stay put or your liner. The makeup on the eyes can easily transfer to the brown bone if you just walked through the heat for 5 minutes. And, if it melts, you end up looking like you have raccoon eyes. My personal favorite that have worked most of the time- are the Urban Decay Primer Potion, and the Nars SmudgeProof Eyeshadow Base. Both of these are wonderful, but I think that the Urban Decay Definitely works better with their own line of shadows. The consistency of both primers are more runnier, and go on clear.

Urban Decay and Nars

2) Face Primer- For those of you with oiler skin, or have a bit of textured skin, I highly recommend a face primer before putting on your foundation. This just evens out the texture and the makeup on your face ends up looking a lot smoother. All in all, this does help your foundation to stay put and not slide off your face. I personally do not use a face primer, as most of them contain silicones which break me out. In fact, I have tried a water face primer by Smashbox which ended up breaking me out as well. But, I have known a lot of people who rave about that one as well as the Laura Mercier face primers.

Smashbox Primer

3) Setting Powder- This is a translucent powder (usually is white in color), just melts into the skin and takes away any excess shine. It just keeps the oiliness at bay so that you do not get extra shiny during the day. Usually I would apply this in the T-zone area as that’s where I get very shiny. I like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders very much for this purpose. They are a bit high end, but they do the job very well. Even though these have a bit of a sheen to them, they had a glow to your face, and take away the excess shine! Th ones I recommend from their line as a setting power are Dim Light, and Mood Light.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

4) Makeup Setting Spray- This is like God sent from the heavens people. Since my top liner was running everywhere even with the use of primers, I discovered the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. And let me tell you, I am hooked! This just locks in all of your makeup, and it takes away the chalkiness from your makeup to give you that natural look. So be outside and lounge by all means, and this baby will keep everything in place.

Urban Decay All Nighter

5) SPF- Its getting hot, and I wouldn’t want any one of you to end up with skin cancer. Being India, I do not get a sunburn, but I tan very easily. Needless to say, this is a very important thing for anyone. But, most sunscreens are chemical based which again, break me out. Recently Tarte released a new Sunscreen which is amazing. It is not chemical based, and it smells like lilies. I mean, what more can one want?

Tarte Sunscreen

If you’ve tried any other products from the same categories, or think anything else is essential, then do let me know!

-Krutika