Top 5 beauty and skincare products

It is not a well kept secret that I am unbelievably lazy when it comes to skincare and haircare. Till about a year back, my idea of skin care was a good face wash and a moisturiser. Over time (and age, UGH), I have begun to realise how crucial it is for everybody to start early when it comes to taking care of their skin. This does not by any stretch mean that you have to fixate on every line, every blemish and poke it till it leads to a mental breakdown. It just means that a few products and a few easy peezy remedies can go such a long way in actually preventing a breakdown of your skin.
Over the last few months I have devised a serious regimen for my skin which I have been attempting to follow without any exceptions. Over the years, I have received so many queries and emails from my readers asking me to talk about hair and beauty and I'm finally getting around to (after having cleaned up my act of course). I'm doing videos on instagram and now this dedicated blog post about 5 skincare and beauty products that have changed my life in the last few months. Take some time, see the images but most importantly read up and learn from my experience with these products. I have kept it as real as possible and I hope to help as many of you as I can in making an informed choice about these. Please leave your questions, comments, suggestions, anything else that you would like to see in the FTLOFAOT Beauty segment, right here.

• Bio Oil (60 ml and 125 ml): Many many moons ago, someone had told me about the unbelievable powers of Bio Oil to fix stretch marks and scars. I was young and nonchalant (also super careless) and did not really think about beginning any serious remedy for little spots and marks that all of us have on different parts of our body. Around the age of 24, I started developing this weird allergy every summer on my arms and legs. Routine, as the doctors say. It's basically a lot of itchiness (not because of dryness) and it leads to these red bumps all across your skin. Sometimes the bumps disappear but the scars remain. Over the last two-three months of having used Bio Oil for my fore-arms and legs, I can safely say that it actually works like magic. It has something they call the Purecellin oil and it is recommended that you use it twice daily, religiously. The marks lighten and I do not plan to stop the use anytime soon. I also want to use it for the face and see if it has the same results. But for now, I'm enjoying the cleaning up process for my limbs. Price: Rs. 450/- (INR) for the 60 ml.

• Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (30 ml): I remember putting this decision to vote on my instagram stories as what nighttime recovery cream should I invest in. I was using Forest Essentials at the time and while it works well to moisturise, I realised that I needed something to work as a light moisturising agent and a serum to work on my face while I sleep, simultaneously. It's pure essential oils and distilled botanicals work like a charm for me as a midnight serum. There is a great deal of moisturising for a normal skin like mine and it definitely leaves you with a visibly healthier skin the next day. The idea is to remove your make up (however little) everyday, cleanse, tone, apply the night serum (I skip the moisturising for night) and follow it up with a night cream if you so wish (and if your skin needs more than the basic moisturising that the serum offers). It gets used very little and the dropper mechanism is so convenient. For this 30 ml dropper bottle, the price in the Indian market is Rs. 2250/- (INR).

• Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot solution (30 ml): Let's face it. There are tons of beauty products in the market that claim to address the most common skin problem of them all; the pesky dark spots. In my understanding owing to my skin's experiences and endless discussions with many skin doctors and dermatologists the reasons for random dark spots are aplenty. Ranging from repeated and harsh sun exposure to genetics. In between lie the myriad of reasons like not enough nutritious food, hormonal changes, reactions to something, acne marks etc. This product comes in handy for people who do not have extreme dark spots or anything that appears more than a regular sign of ageing/sun exposure. I have used it for a month and more now and I can definitely see a visible degree of reduction in the appearance of the dark spots. Again, let me reiterate, this is not magic. This is certainly not the holy grail of skincare but it does a fairly decent job of reducing the darkness over time. I use it on my face on the random spots, twice a day, right after toning. It is slightly sticky so don't lather too much of it in a go. Again, the dropper mechanism is convenient but make sure you use it judiciously over the spots. Price: Rs. 4450/- (INR)

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner (250 ml): Since this is not a sponsored post and just me being awesome and finally doing this post to answer a few of your queries at least, I can be brutally honest. (Not that I'm not brutally honest otherwise, you know!) I am not a fan of The Body Shop's skincare products and have had some horrible experiences with a few. The bath accessories, love them but skincare I've usually steered clear of after buying some really bad products. How this, then worked for me so well is beyond me. This toner is perfect. It cleans nicely, does not sting or feel too strong, has a faint nice fragrance and just leaves you refreshed without any sticky feeling or unclean skin. The fact that it has moisturising wheat germ oil might have something to do with it. Either way, this is the only Body Shop product that I vouch for (not saying I have tried them all, just that a few that I have tried before this have been ummm, kind of sort of disastrous). Price: Rs. 895/- (INR)

• Eau Thermale Avene Micellar Lotion cleanser and make up remover (200 ml): I had heard so much about this French brand of beauty and skincare and like most french pharmacy brands, I had only heard good things. Started my journey with Avene with this make up remover for sensitive skin and it has been the best kind that I have used so far. I love make up wipes for when I'm lazy but I would never use make up remover wipes on a daily basis since I feel that they do not clean the face adequately. Maybe it is just a mental block but the satisfaction of a make up remover on a cotton pad is unmatched for me. It has more of the removing concentrate than the wipe and I just find it a lot more thorough. Again, mild fragrance, not sticky, not heavy on my skin and most importantly not oil based. I'm also currently using the Avene Sunscreen for extreme protection but I am going to save that review for another day. For now, I'm swearing by this make up remover. Price: Rs. 1200/- (INR) 

Shot these beautiful images at Dyo Resort, Mukteshwar where I was for a workcation and I hope you saw my travel story here.

Leaving this post with a disclaimer that every beauty product or skincare product does not work the same way for all skin types. Even between the same skin types, albeit little, the likelihood of a different result still exists. I find it very hard to trust most beauty products and hence it took me a while to decide on my top five skincare beauty products, at the moment. Hope this helps and I would be more than happy to take questions here, on Facebook and on instagram.

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Travelling with Dyo Organic Village Resort

I have mentioned this before when I went exploring Anant Rasa in Sitalkhet which you read about here, that as I grew up I realised that I enjoyed the reverie of the hills almost as much as the beach. I live for the cool breeze, the empowering yet intimidating Himalayas, the serene landscapes and the sincere sounds of only the birds chirping all around you. It doesn't hurt to go at an ideal time like this which is April to a property as stunning as Dyo Organic Resort in Muktehwar, Uttarakhand (a few hours away from Ranikhet) since it is warm in the day and cold in the night and you get to enjoy almost both the seasons at once. You also witness the entire land lush and green in all its glory what with every possible patch of green dotted with flowers, wild and otherwise and the trees dotted with red rhododendrons for as far as the eye can see. 

Our little getaway to Dyo was nothing short of perfect. Not only was I enamoured by the hospitality of the lovely sisters who run this little boutique resort, I was also taken in immensely by the design and decor of the property. This deserved such a special mention simply because a property of this scale and style gets its modern chic, minimalist design value from the effort and thought that goes into it. From the logo design to the signages that have been firmly planted across the entire property (including deep in the jungle where we went for a jungle walk accompanied by the quintessential hill dog Loorie) that carry the most considerate and almost adorable messages for the guests and passerby, I was very impressed with it all. The furniture and design of the five rooms have been done up in the theme of the five elements of Earth. While that holds the possibility of going over board, they manage to keep it stylishly restrained. 

The USP however of Dyo, located in Mukteshwar, remains the fresh produce and the unbelievably delicious food that is made available at Dyo Cafe (also open for non-guests of the property). We tasted a variety of cuisines and it has never been that hard for me to pick a favourite. If I had to, I would go with the experience of the authentic Kumaoni lunch especially for the authenticity and delight of its flavours. It helps that you can sit in the cafe and enjoy the views of the hills and blooms and your food at the same time. 

The origin of the delightful food experience stems from the poly house located a few feet below the property where we trekked down to pluck our own fruits and behead our own vegetables to make for our next meal. The lush green cabbage patch, the cauliflower ready to pluck, the thin sweet radishes that we plucked from the ground under and the peas that glistened like pearls in the pods (and were sweet enough to pass off as dessert) are all memories that make for a brilliant and literal Farm to Table experience.

Would I go back? I most certainly will. I slept like a baby at our cushy suite and I chased butterflies and lady birds and drank chai by the sunset point in the day. Life is great, at Dyo Organic Resort.

For any kind of questions, queries, comments et al, don't forget to drop in a line below or email me and I would be happy to answer your questions about Dyo or direct you to the concerned person.

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