Gosh, I cannot believe it has been exactly 9 months since my last blog post! I have very good reason as to why I was MIA for the last 9 months. It’s definitely not what you are thinking, given that it has been 9 months! Haha!
2015 was a pretty great year for me because I got married to my one and only in December and so I was busy planning a wedding, shopping for the wedding and tackling all the craziness that comes with a BIG INDIAN WEDDING!
Happy to report, our wedding day was just perfect and it’s great being married to my best friend! I still need to get used to being called a Mrs though! Also, figuring out what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner takes a lot more time than usual!
I have missed blogging and I cannot to write about EVERYTHING! 😀 I have some great blog posts coming up so do look out for them!
PS. Choosing a single wedding picture is hard because it is really hard to choose the best one, so here is a candid one from our pre-wedding shoot which I love very much!
Elated, surprised and (very) grateful. These words accurately describe my emotions as I’m writing this blog post. I started this blog (with Tinu) 7 months ago as an outlet to rekindle my creative side as I spent weekdays at my desk coding away or in very important meetings. Also, my younger sister nudged me to just do it and for once I listened to her. It was the best thing I did! I am genuinely blown away by the support and positive response I have had from every corner of the world. This is mind-blowing! One thing was for sure, I was not expecting any of it! This has motivated me to keep consistent and produce quality blog posts to you, my lovely readers!
The picture below perfectly captures how I’m feeling right now (#fbf to the time I had long hair!).
Thank you! 🙂
This blog post is really in essence, a long-winded way of saying Thank You to each and every one of you who has supported me in any way.
I would like to end this blog post with this quote from a brilliant movie, PS I Love you.
Holly Kennedy: “All I know is, if you don’t figure out this something, you’ll just stay ordinary, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a work of art, or a taco, or a pair of socks! Just create something… new, and there it is, and it’s you, out in the world, outside of you, and you can look at it, or hear it, or read it, or feel it… and you know a little more about… you. A little bit more than anyone else does… Does that make any sense at all?”
Hope this encourages any one of you to create something that is totally You with your stamp on it for the world to see 🙂
I have been longing to buy the Clarisonic cleansing system for the longest time, but sadly the price tag that comes along with it is too hefty for my liking (ranges from £125 – £155). Due to this reason, I have been on the lookout for a similar gadget that doesn’t come with a heart wrenching price tag. My sad tale continued because, even the products that were similar in size, shape and performance was considerably too expensive for my liking. So, for a while I gave up this quest to find one until, I stumbled across the Facial Brush from Body Shop. I remember reading great reviews from the world of blogosphere and decided to give it a try. Additionally, Body Shop offered a 40% discount which I couldn’t resist and had to put an order! I justified this purchase because I was able save quite a bit of money from the 40% discount. Ka-ching! 🙂
Product Praise ft. The Body Shop [Facial Brush with Lid]
Initially I was surprised by how small the brush is, because on the website it looked to be of a decent size. Nevertheless, this did not put me off and I remained positive to give it go. Honestly, I was quite amazed by how effective this little gadget turned out to be. The size on this occasion was not a problem for me. No pun intended! I use it as part of my morning skincare routine along with the Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash. It literally scrubs away the entire gunk from the skin and reveals a smoother and fresher skin. The bristles are quite soft and the main benefit of this is that I can control how gentle or hard I would like to scrub my face.
Additionally, the facial brush comes with a handy lid which is perfect as it can be stored away cleanly and safely. It is also very handy to take on holidays and it is fuss free! The full price of this gadget is £4 and it is definitely money well spent! I’m glad I didn’t jump the gun and get myself a Clarisonic or a Foreo LUNA™ mini skincare device. If you are looking for a great exfoliant tool without spending shed loads of money, this Facial Brush from Body Shop is the one.
Product Praise ft. The Body Shop [Facial Brush with Lid]
Have you used the Facial Brush before? What are your thoughts? Do you use any other budget gadgets to get your skin exfoliated? Let me know in the comments below!
Clear blue skies, long lazy evenings and flip-flops! Summer is just around the corner and I’m already excited. Here in the UK we haven’t seen a lot of sunshine, so I’m very much looking forward to those days where you are in your garden and soaking up all that Vitamin D! #summerloving Today’s blog post I would like to share with you some easy tips and healthy recipes that could benefit you to achieve that perfect summer glow (on a budget, of course!). Let start off with something easy:
Face Masks
They are pretty great. I am definitely a face mask advocate! Now, we could easily spend a £1 or even £10 for a face mask because it’s easy, less hassle and maybe because they had great reviews! However, we are not going down this route! You could easily whip up a face mask using ingredients from your kitchen cupboard! Once we start foraging through our cupboards you can actually start to see some that some ingredients on their own can be excellent face masks. I could go on and on about the various ingredients you could use for a face mask but, I’d like to tell you of 2 items that I use on a regular basis as a face mask. Potatoes and Tomatoes. Surprised? I bet some of you might be! I have been using these ingredients as my face mask ever since my grandma suggested! Although it didn’t quite make sense why my grandma insisted on using these, a quick Google search answered my questions. Tomatoes: It contains high amount of Vitamin C which is known to brighten skin. The high acidic content in tomatoes helps to treat rashes and acne. Just cut one tomato in half and gently run them against your skin. Sit back and let the tomato juice works its magic on your skin! Don’t forget to rinse after 20 minutes!
Face Mask: Tomatoes!
Potatoes: They have a high content of carbohydrates and vitamin C and are a natural under eye brightener. Applying potato juice or potatoes directly on the affected area can banish dark eye rings. The juice also helps in the treatment of dark spots and blemishes.
Face Mask: Potatoes!
Superfoods: Almonds
The ultimate superfood! Almonds have been a part of my diet for over a year now and they have done wonders to my skin and health too! Why are they super? I’ll tell you… These little nuts are very rich and a good source of Potassium, Calcium, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Iron. I soak almonds the night before, peel and eat them first thing in the morning. Doing this on a regular, every day basis, has most definitely improved the health of my skin. Soaked almonds can help you get your glow back and improve your skin tone by repairing the damaged skin tissues internally and helps in the formation of new cells. However, I’m sorry to those of you who are allergic to them. Blueberries are a perfect alternative and a handful of them everyday can do wonders!
I’m not a very good cook. Living with my parents, my mum makes the most delicious home-cooked food which is a perfectly acceptable reason for me to not cook at all! However after exploring the recipe page from ALOHA, I feel as though I can rise to challenge of cooking something appetizing. My eye caught this recipe: Chicken (or Tofu!) Tacos with Superfood Mole Sauce. Why? It’s simple – Chicken! I need not say more! I am looking forward to cooking this very soon! For all my vegetarian readers, do not fear! They also offer some great veggie recipes too! Like this one: Nut + Seed Veggie Burgers Do feel free to head to their website for more inspiration: ALOHA I really hope you enjoyed reading this post and hoping the tips I shared with you helps you to get your summer glow on! ❤
As someone who has been using topical acne medication on a daily basis, my skin dries out quite terribly. The dryness is concentrated in and around the areas where I apply the gel (cheeks and chins area). Prior to using Cetaphil, it was really an uphill battle trying to find the right type of moisturizer that helps hydrate my skin when using acne medications.
I first learnt about Cetaphil when several Beauty bloggers raved about this product. I had to jump in, try it for myself to really understand what the big fuss was all about. Well, after initially trying it out, I can say that this product was worthy for all the big fuss it generated among skincare enthusiasts.
Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion
I have been using this product for over a year and my skin has been loved it since day 1. During winter months is when I could really tell how this product works on those cold wintery days. A word of warning though, I would not recommend this product if you have an oily skin type. Due to this reason, I only use this product in the evening after I apply my acne medication before I go to bed. The next morning, I’m always woken up to soft and hydrated skin which is always wonderful!
If your skin type is dry, then this is the moisturizer for you. Your skin will surely love it. It is also a wonderful base product to be applied before applying foundation. A few things to note:
One 230ml bottle of Cetaphil lasts at least 6 months.
You can buy this product from Boots for the price of £8.99.
The Bad
All you Cetaphil lovers, you are not going to like what you are about to read. You might have heard about this or might not, but it just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t share this with you even after knowing about it.
In the past few weeks, I have read blog posts that explain how Cetaphil is not the simple and innocent moisturizer it claims to be. The blogs explain that Cetaphil uses toxic ingredients which are harmful to the skin. Surprised? Shocked? This was how I genuinely felt after I read about it. As someone who has been using it for a long time, it really made me think. Click here to read more about this. I have to say, my once positive opinion about this product has been swayed after knowing the unpleasant truth about Cetaphil.
Have you used Cetaphil Moisturizing lotion? What are your thoughts about it? Let me know by commenting below!
Disco ball. This is the only word I think is the most appropriate to visually describe my skin at the end of a long day. My oily skin type is taking all the blame for that. I was under the pretence that any kind of facial wash that was specifically developed for the oily skin type was all just a gimmick. It was a hard concept for my head to wrap around the idea that using a facial wash helps in dealing with this problem. I knew of and have used great moisturisers/primers that have aided me in fighting this problem, but certainly not facial washes.
This cynical view of mine took a great big U-turn when I started using this product from Body Shop. Initially, I bought this product as it helped me reach a set price so that I will eligible to redeem a voucher. I didn’t have any expectations and really just assumed it is just another facial wash for me to try.
Product Praise ft. The Body Shop
After my first attempt at using this product, I was genuinely shocked to find my face a lot less shiny at the end of a very long day. I was very pleased and surprised that this product actually works for oily skin types. I made sure no Primers were used when testing the facial wash to get reliable and fair result. So imagine, if I did use a facial wash and a great face Primer? The results would be even more impressive.
This facial wash has a very lovely scent and a little of it goes a long way too. For £8.50, it is just great. My perceptions about using facial washes specially designed for oily skin has changed for the better.
Product Praise ft. The Body Shop
Do you have oily skin? What steps do you take to combat this issue? Please do leave your thoughts below!
If you had read this post and this post you would have got some insight about the personality of my skin. If you haven’t read it, please take a few minutes to speed-read through those posts (they are quite long!) to get an idea of how I deal with my skin’s moody personality.
As you can already tell from the title, this blog post is all about Aveeno. Before I begin to praise this product, I need to tell you a story. This short story is all about how I started using this product and what made me choose this particular product.
Currently, Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion is my every day morning moisturising lotion (yes that means I use a different moisturiser in the evenings/night and the reasons behind this must be justified in a whole new blog post!). Before using this product, I was obsessed with using Vitamin E Moisture Cream or Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream.
Vitamin E Moisture Cream & Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream
My obsessions into using these products spread and now even my sister and mum uses them. My skin loved this moisturiser, but after a while, like usual, my skin started to protest and the aftermath left on my skin was a little sore for the eyes. The moisturiser was too rich for my oily and acne-prone skin and since that protest, I have been very cautious and was on the hunt for a perfect moisturiser for my not-so-perfect skin. This hunt led me to Aveeno. Now if you ask me why I chose Aveeno as my morning moisturiser, I can sum them up in just two reasons:
These reasons pushed me to be brave enough to introduce my skin to Aveeno and I haven’t looked back since.
Let the Product Praise begin!
For someone who is dealing with acne-prone skin, Aveeno Moisturising Lotion has been a real treat and my skin is been loving it since day one of me using it. It is very light and easy on the skin. Moreover, a little of it goes a long way and also, its fragrant free nature is an added bonus too. It has always been a struggle finding a moisturiser that is suitable for my acne-prone, oily skin type but this product has proved its worth. My foundation stays on for a lot longer and the best part is that, my face does not end up looking like a disco ball at the end of the day!
Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion
The price of this product is very reasonable for the full 300ml bottle, coming in at (full price) £7.15 in Superdrug and £7.64 in Boots (currently on sale in Boots for £5.10!). My positive experience with Aveeno has encouraged me to venture out and try other Aveeno products and one of products that I am equally loving is the Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil. It smells gorgeous and feels divine on my skin.
An email from Body Shop over a week ago included a very enticing set of offers that could be used either in-store or online. Wondering what the offers were? Have a look below:
Now isn’t that amazing, my eye shot towards the £25 offer, because it’s literally 50% off! I usually stock up on my Body Shop products whenever there’s a massive sale or discount offers. This happens quite often in my opinion as there’s always some kind of sale in Body Shop.
Whenever an offer like this comes along, I like to play a little math game. To make sure that I use this offer effectively, I make sure I buy products up to exactly the offer amount, in this case being £50 (yes, which means not even a penny more or less!). This time, I purchased products that was running low and needed to be stocked up also, to hit the £50 target I bought myself a new product that has been raved quite a lot.
Below are the products (all-time favourite ones) below that I needed restocking as they were running low:
Below is the new product that I have bought but never tried before. I’m very much looking forward to trying this product out!
This was all delivered to me yesterday, however, today on a Sunday, it was a satisfying feeling opening up the package which had technically “£50” worth of products, when I paid only £25!
Last week was pretty exciting for me mainly because of three things. I found out that that I have been nominated not for one, but three awards! I will be combining all of the 3 award nominations into this single post and I hope that this is okay!
Naomi from chiquessence nominated me for the Creative Bloggers Award
Fiona from fislittleblog nominated me for the Very Inspirational Blogger Award
And last but certainly not the least, Dena from thestylecoordi nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award. I just found out about this nomination last night!
Naomi, Fiona and Dena are such beautiful ladies whose blog is a dedicated space for all things fashion and beauty. Dena also loves K-pop, something I love too. I encourage you to explore their blogs and I’m sure you will love it too.
Thanking each one of you for the nomination and I’m very grateful for it.
This was my facial reaction when I found out about the first award nomination and it was something like this:
(Source: Giphy.com)
So imagine the excitement when I found out I was nominated for a second time for a different award?! It was something like this:
(Source: images.virgula.uol.com)
Let’s not forget how I reacted to my third nomination, it was something like this:
(Source: Reddit.com)
I’m genuinely thankful for these award nominations and this encourages me a lot to write more too. I can’t put into words the support and encouragement that I have been receiving from just starting my blog only nearly two months ago and I very truly appreciate it. A lot!
Thank you to my lovely readers!
(Source: the-house-of-anubis.wikia.com)
A little shout out and thank you to my little sister who was really the one who pushed me to start a blog. Any of you guys thinking of starting a blog but not sure as to what to write about? I’d say write about anything and everything. It is very therapeutic and I think of it as an accomplishment because we creating something unique. This reminds of this quote from one of my all-time favourite Rom-Com movies: PS. I Love You.
All I know is, if you don’t figure out the “something,” you’ll just stay ordinary.
And it doesn’t matter if it’s a work of art, or a taco, or a pair of socks.
Just create something new and there it is.
And it’s you, out in the world, outside of you.
And you can look at it, or hear it, or read it, or feel it…
…and you know
a little bit more about you.
A little bit more than anybody else does.
Now onto the important stuff which are the rules for the award.
Thank the blogger who nominated you & link back to their site.
Put the award logo on your blog.
Answer the ten questions sent to you.
Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
Nominate seven bloggers who you feel deserve the award.
What’s the story behind the name of your blog?
There isn’t a story as such. I wanted to pick a name that’s simple but still wanted to convey what my blog is about. My blog is a space I share my adventures with you. With Tinu, you will find out my journey whether it be anything from fashion to cooking (I still need practice in this area!).
What’s one clothing/beauty item you can’t live without?
A comfortable pair of jeans. I get mine from New Look. Decent price and good quality.
List three things you like about yourself and why (physically or characteristically).
This question is actually quite hard! If I have to pick then it would be
– My hair. I had a love/hate relationship with it because of its curly frizzy nature. However, now I think I understand my hair a lot more (as strange as that may sound!) and I have learnt to love the curly/frizzy nature of my hair.
– I’m a good listener. If you have a story to tell, I’m here. I’ll listen. J
– I have a lot of moles or beauty mark some call it. I have one on my chin, right bang in the middle and I think that’s unique.
Current song you’re obsessed with?
Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This time last year, I never imagined I would be blogging or even be nominated for awards. So, my honest answer would be that I really don’t have a clue.
What are some things on your bucket list?
Visit Japan. Bungee Jumping. Scuba Diving.
Name one resolution you have for 2015.
Read books. This might be a ‘meh’ resolution but when I read, I tend to skip chapters or read the end of the book to know if it is a happy or sad ending!
Tips for anyone starting a blog?
Write things that you like talking to your friends about. Write as if you are talking to your best friend.
Name one celebrity/idol/character you would trade closets with.
Taylor Swift ❤
Favorite quote/phrase/saying?
Writing this blog post reminded me of the quote from the movie PS.I Love you. Please scroll up to read it 🙂
![Product Praise ft. The Body Shop [Facial Brush with Lid]](https://withtinu.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/fullsizerender-3-001.jpg)
![Product Praise ft. The Body Shop [Facial Brush with Lid]](https://withtinu.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/fullsizerender-1.jpg)
...with Tinu 