#Colgate360GoldMornings

6 am- Alarm rings. And you snooze it for 10 minutes.

6:30 am- You open your eyes and plan to wake up after 10 mins

7 am- Your heart skips a beat as you are already late by half an hour and you push your schedule by every minute, cursing yourself and ruining the morning.

At work when your colleagues wish you good morning, you sulk “What’s good about this morning”?

If this is what happens to you daily, then it’s time to change yourself. No wait, you can’t buy another body nor go to another planet. But you can certainly change your toothbrush at least! Yeah, you heard that right. Changing your toothbrush can change your lifestyle and make your mornings gold.

Colgate Gold Morning

Colgate Charcoal Gold toothpaste performs a 360 degree duty of more than cleaning teeth. It cleans teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. A magical morning wonder, isn’t it? With fresh breath, clean and healthy oral cavity, you not only feel invigorated but also confident. You subdue your chances of bleeding gums, debris on teeth or tooth decay. Healthy teeth not only makes you look & feel good, they also make you eat and speak properly. Research has proved that can charcoal or “koyla” is actually helpful in changing the pH and health of the mouth. It is effective in preventing cavities and killing the bad bacteria present in tooth decay. With the gold standard of mouth cleaning, you gotta rule the world! Yay! Oral hygiene is important for overall well being. And the charming gold look of the toothbrush is vibrant enough to make you feel good. After you admire yourself in the mirror, this is the second best thing to happen to you early morning.

Okay, one more important thing. The first smile that comes your face early morning is also great reason to turn your mornings into gold! And my Goldie does that effortlessly. I mean he is not a golden retriever breed, but a cute four legged cutie pie who loves to jump on my bed and pull me out (literally) for a walk. As I look at him helplessly, he stares with his head tilted and a smile on his face. See this. I am not kidding!

Stobby with his golden smile

What better way to keep healthy with an energetic dog and bonding with other strays. They often block my way to the gym. Their happy faces and wagging tails is only priceless! A walk, yoga or run, any fitness activity in the morning keeps you healthy and happy; making your morning and life golden by all means. As a fitness enthusiast and good health promoter, I can really well connect to the #Colgate360GoldMornings.

Organic Harvest Lip Balm

Love nature? Love organic things around you? Then this blog post is for you. Ok wait, this is for every beauty, cosmetics and skin care product blogger/user. Organic Harvest approached me with their organic concept and wanted me to try their natural lip balm. Find them at http://www.organicharvest.in/ 

So the package arrived at my doorsteps in a tiny jute bag. Mind you, no plastic, and I made a mental note “Organic Harvest lives up to its name”. The small compact lip balm came packed in sturdy holder. The red round pack looked too cute. Keep away from children. I have two round shaped products now, which I better keep locked away from children, lest they should start playing the ball. (Lakme Mousse Foundation was one, and now Organic Harvest).

So this Lip balm is not in the usual stick shape. Looks interesting, isn’t it? This one is a pomegranate formula. The introductory price tagged on the packing is only Rs. 150.

The brand also claims the lip balm to be free of bee wax and other harmful chemicals. Makes it a vegan lipbalm then  Since it is organic, there is no sun protection formula either.

As I opened the pack, the cute little ball shape looked like hemisphere of the Earth. With no hint of color or fragrance, the open shot looks like an egg fitted inside a cup. haha. Take a look at the open shot and how to apply it-

Apply the roll on surface to your lips and apply the same. Recommended not to rub your finger on the balm for hygiene reasons.

WHAT I LIKED-

-The cute, leak proof, compact packaging. Even if you carry this to a warm place, it will not melt.

-The very mild fragrance which goes away in some time.

-Leaves lips smooth. I apply at night and wake up to even and crack free lips in morning. Repairs lips slowly.

-Absolutely natural without bee wax or paraben. Does not leave a white wax like whitish line on lips like other lip products.

-Since it has no color or gloss, you can apply lipstick or lip gloss over the Organic Harvest lipbalm.

WHAT I MISSED

-Does not give a glossy sheen or visible moisturizing base to lips.

-No SPF(Which is understood, since it is organic)

-No color (Since it is natural)

-Lips may feel sticky in absence of moisture formula

Those looking for a tinted balm or moisture rich balm, this is not for them, If the organic and natural factor is to be believed, this lip balm would definitely suit them. It is travel friendly but not kid friendly. Absence of SPF is a slight turn off for me. Advisable to apply at night before sleeping.

My rating : 3.5 on 5.

Naturals Hand & Body Lotion Review

Avon's brand Naturals has a huge variety of skin care and personal care products to choose from. I love Naturals for the blend of natural ingredients and gentle care it provides.

Milk & Honey HBL

Naturals always offers products that you instantly fall in love with. Naturals Milk & Honey Hand & Body Lotion(HBL) in 200 ml pack,  is one of them. The rich creamy lotion makes your skin soft and smooth. The HBL promises a 30 hour moisture, which actually stays on your skin till you wash it away. You can feel the velvety touch for the whole day. I apply the lotion on my legs and feet before leaving from home. In evening when I wash my feet, I actually feel the lotion washing out then. My feet stays moisturized the entire day!

The HBL moisturizes skin with the goodness of milk & honey. Known for deep nourishment of skin, milkmoisturizes and smoothens skin. Honey acts a natural cleanser, moisturizer and antibacterial agent. Together these two ingredients give instant moisturization and deep nourishment to skin. The aroma is delectable that you cannot stop relishing.

The lotion comes in a pale yellow hue, that resembles the look of yummy custard. You start feeling hungry when the richness nourishes your skin. This is a perfect daily use body lotion.

What I loved- 

• 30 hour moisture

• Velvety smooth skin

• Non sticky, absorbs immediately

• Good quantity in the bottle, value for money

• Yummy aroma

• Ideal for both summers and winters

What I missed- 

• SPF would have been an added advantage

• No formula for anti- pigmentation/anti-aging

• The plastic lid does not shut with ease. Need efforts to push it close

The MRP is Rs 249. Avail exciting discounts on buying from Avon representative. I would recommend this product to all consumers of body lotions who want silky, velvety moisturized feel for the whole day.

Avon Naturals Acai & Pear body lotion

Avon Naturals Acai & Pear HBL

I bought Avon's Naturals Sparkling Pear and Acai Juicy Moisture Hand & Body Lotion- 200 ml

I love the natural flavors of Avon Sparkling Pear and Acai Naturals Hand & Body Lotions. Today when the market is flooded with variety of products that claim big on technology and ingredients, Naturals, as a sub brand of Avon is different. I gave it a try because I love natural ingredients and products with less or mild chemicals. Avon Naturals just fits into my requirement.

The Sparkling Pear and Acai flavoured body lotion smells too good. The fragrance is neither strong nor light. The former means less harsh chemicals, which is exactly what I wanted. Too strong a fragrance also causes headache to me at times.

The light texture of the lotion off white in color. The lotion feels light weight and gets easily absorbed onto your skin. Skin does not feel oily or heavy at all. The fragrance does not remain on skin for long, which is okay for me, as long as it moisturizes skin for long. The lotion is soothing and can be used daily on arms and legs. It keeps your skin smooth and nourished. The back panel of the lotion does not show acai as one of the extracts, yet presence of glycerin, mineral oil and pear extract solves the purpose for me. Pear extract is known to lighten skin tone and controls oil on skin.

The packaging is nice. The green label showing acai and pear as ingredients are apt and absolutely give this a natural look. The 200 ml pack is priced at Rs 189 which is economical. Compared with other brands, Avon products are priced less and there are high chances that you buy them at lesser offer prices! Its a fairly priced product.

My skin feels soothed after applying the refreshing HBL. This was a perfect treat for my skin during summers. However, I may not buy this during winters, as skin needs more moisturization and heavy textured HBL.

What I liked-

• The natural light fragrance
• Light weight texture
• Presence of pear extract
• Gives smooth and moisturized skin
• Fairly priced

What I missed

• No SPF
• Fragrance does not stay long, unlike other brands.

A repeat purchase?

Yes!

Take care of your skin. Stay healthy stay blessed

From my year health book, this is day 135 on May 6th' 14.

Hair's next- Day Health Book- Day 124

Troublesome summers brings heat and humidity with it. The worst effected are your hair, which turn sweaty, dirty and dry in the harsh weather. Sharing some useful hair treatment therapies for you so that your tresses shine and breathe free.

-Wash your hair every 3-4 days with mild shampoo if you sweat a lot. Not washing hair will create a breeding ground for lice or dirt to accumulate, causing a foul smell and oily scalp.

-Massage your hair with nourishing oil every week to strengthen the roots and protect them from drying. A hot oil massage is the most recommended. To treat dandruff, mix few drops of lemon juice or camphor in the oil. Wash your scalp with anti dandruff shampoo.

-Before pressing or straightening your hair, apply heat protective gel on hair to prevent burning or drying of your hair. Local parlors don't do this which often causing hair fall and weakening of your tresses.

-Cover your head with scarf or cap before stepping out in the sun. Pollution and sun together cause lot of damage to hair.

-Give a hair spa at home each week. Try these easy and nourishing hair masks at home- 

A) Beat egg white, a cup of milk (if your hairs are dry), a cup of curd (if you have oily scalp), few drops of lemon juice, 2 spoons of oilve oil and mix well. 

Apply to your hair diving your hair into small sections. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Let steam penetrate your masked hair. (Steamers or vaporizers are easily available in the market). Rinse with cold water. Do NOT use warm water to rinse the mask.

Egg conditions your hair really well and adds shine to the dull locks. Milk conditions your dry hair. Curd treats dandruff and oily scalp. For those who do not use eggs can use Amla juice with shikakaai.

B) Banana mask is for those who have dry hair: Mix a table spoon of honey, 2 spoons of coconut oil, 1 spoon of oilve oil and 2 mashed ripe bananas. Make sure the banana is well mashed and smoothed well, leaving no pieces of banana left in the beaten mask.  Leave the mask on for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Try the above methods to protect your hair from the harsh summers and let them shine with health! Stay healthy stay blessed!

This is the 124th day of the year and my 134th post from Year Health Book (YHB)

Smelly encounter

While chatting with a friend yesterday, I told him about the blog contest for Racold. While for me, this was a big contest, for him it was more than a contest as he proudly told me that Racold is the market leader in water heaters. As a sales champ in consumer durable industry from the past few years, he definitely knows the market well and his statement made me feel more enthusiastic about this blog contest :-) This is a part of Indibloggers contest https://www.facebook.com/racoldthermoltd

Many a times I have felt the same as what the video shows. Check out the hilarious video here- What\'s that smell, Boss?

All of us, at some point in our life must have come across such messy people, who stink. At times it is the shoes of a person, while at other times it’s the smell of underarms sweat. During such smelly encounters, we either turn away our heads in the opposite direction, or ignore the stench. During one such smelly encounters, a dear colleague of mine caused a lot of stir at workplace. It was the offset of winters and she happened to wear a long black pullover on a particular day. Many colleagues, including me felt a strange odor of dirt or mud. We realized, the itching smell of dirt apparently came from somewhere around her seat. The moment people would pass by her, they complained of a dusty odor. It did not take me long to figure out the source of the smell. It was the black sweater he had worn that day. Being a close friend of mine, I did not ignore the problem and politely told her about the unusual odor from her sweater. She did not take offence and immediately took off her pullover. I assumed that perhaps it was not washed properly. My suggestion to her was to wash the pullover in mild detergent in warm water.  Its not the human body that needs a bath always. At times its your clothes too :)

In few instances I have suggested people to use a strong deodorant or perfume. The suggestion used to be quite assertive, hence dropping hints to people about the strong body odor!

In a hilarious incident few years ago, my newly promoted boss felt embarrassed due to the smelly encounter. My team was invited for lunch to our new boss’s house. The spacious house was beautifully decorated, with every detail intricately chosen and accounted for. Right from the marbled floor, teak wood furniture, satin curtains to imported show pieces, everything about the house was classy. It smelled of high taste. It also smelled of something unpleasant. We were pleased with a warm welcome and all the affection that was showered by the hosts but only if the pungent smell wasn't present! Our new boss and his wife had left no stone unturned to make us feel comfortable. The smell continued to strangle me every minute. For obvious reasons I could not complain about the stench amid the hosts but surely dropped them hints that I was uneasy. The whole team insisted to see the balcony and terrace. The moment we were out of the room, I heaved a sigh of relief loudly saying "Thank god, its not smelling here". The boss's wife overheard me and my colleague nudged her elbow at me! Believe it or not, I did that purposefully.The rest is history :p

It is said that God gives a special skill or ability to everybody. Strange but true, I have that special ability to smell things from a distance. Not that I am a sniffer dog, but being a sinus patient, my extra sensitive nose can smell anything from a distance, faster than anybody else. This particularly happens in my yoga classes. The bad body odor gives me a bad mood. I requested my yoga instructor to suggest people taking a warm bath daily in the morning, as this helps to reduce body odor. Directly, or indirectly, I was happy to have my message conveyed without having me asked "Whats that smell boss?"

It is most advisable to take a warm water bath in the morning, to feel rejuvenated and eliminate body odor. With a product as superior as Racold in the market, I am sure warm water bath is so convenient and refreshing. A quick heating technology, not on;y saves time but also electricity!

#Whats that smell boss?

This contest is a part of the Indiblogger contest at https://www.facebook.com/racoldthermoltd

Smelly people? Well, this sounds rude! We call it body odor in a polite way. Yet the foul smell still remains a nightmare for those who smell it. I remember the foul stench from underarms of co-passengers in metro or bus while travelling to work or returning home, and I had no option but to turn away my head in the other direction to get some air. I almost choked myself on occasions when a person enters an air conditioned room with that rotten stench! The worse smell are those when the fancy deodorants blend with sweat and leave you in a bad mood!

I could not be rude to those who smell bad, though my mind is ready to yell at the person, asking "What's that smell boss?"

While I can still ask my sister to leave her shoes outside the house, I don't have that liberty to do so with others! Feet smell bad. God! Why don't they wash socks? Why don't they keep their shoes out in the sun. It was in 2010 when I was travelling from Delhi to Jaipur with my friends in Volvo for vacation. The air conditioned bus had closed windows, without any scope to open. One of the passengers had taken his shoes off. The entire bus was stinking with a rotten smell of those dirty socks. I kept shuffling on my seat and covering my nose every minute. I got restless and eventually threw out. The conductor had to stop the moving bus to get the bus clean.

"Are you feeling unwell?" the conductor asked me.

"I am ok. Its the bad smell of somebody's socks that made me sick!" I replied coughing and grasping for my breath.

Other co-passengers nodded their heads in agreement and it was only then that they complained of the foul smell of somebody's socks! Eeh! Post a lot of hub bub and a short break in the middle of the journey, when we boarded the bus again, to our surprise the smell was gone! The person was smart enough to remove his socks after hearing our conversation. So much for a foul smell!! Haha! (Here I am assuming the socks belonged to some gentleman and not a lady, as its the socks of a man that smells most of the times. No offence meant :p )

I recently wrote a blog post on how to get rid of smelly feet and posted on social networking sites. Since I could not say it directly, I said it those people who actually need a hot water bath in morning, through my blog and tagged them on social sites. The intelligent ones understood what I meant, and the ignorant ones are laughed at.

This is the best that I could have dealt with smelly people. I really wish to educate them about body odor. When we take a bath with warm water, our skin feels refreshed and the sweat glands emit less of foul smell. Haven't we heard that washing clothes or utensils with luke warm water takes off the oiliness and dirt debris from them completely. The same trick goes for our body. So why not feel reborn every morning with a hot water bath from Racold?

Love thy hair? I do..

From long to shoulder length and curly to straight, my black locks have withstood change of places, weather, pollution, tension and many such blows with time. I was quite fond of my long hair since my childhood. I kept them long until I came to Delhi for job.

With a sudden change of place and water, my curly locks gave away their charm for some time. They turned brittle and dry. To add to it, negligence towards my health resulted in hair fall. My comb often used to find my precious hair entangled in its teeth. Breaking the teeth would not have helped me, so I decided to chop off my long hair to shoulder length. Trust me, it worked well! I had read somewhere that if you get a regular haircut, hair grows better and healthy. You also get rid of split ends. My curly hair started bouncing with the new Razor hairstyle that I had donned those days. A regular oil massage helped revitalizing my hair gradually.

It was difficult for me to leave my hair open all the time since Delhi is extremely warm during summers and I was in a travelling job. Oops- marketing I mean. Hopping between cities and facing pollution/ dust/ different weather conditions, was a challenge for my hair every day. I switched to bun. Sounds funny but that really helped my hair to battle the odd conditions around. Tying a piece of cloth on my head protected it from dust and sun. However, that was temporary arrangement. I needed to find a long-term solution. My hair had outgrown the shoulder length Razor cut. I changed to Step Cut, as suggested my hair stylist. Steps looked great on my curly hair and leaving them open dint look bad at all. My hectic schedule at work left me with no time for oil massage or hair cut. The hair stylist asked me to change my shampoo and conditioner.

The little piece of advice worked wonders. I am thankful to Shaheen (my hair stylist) for that enlightened guidance. I could feel the difference in one wash when I used Dove for the first time. My hair turned soft and retained the shine gradually. The hair fall problem too, reduced largely. Yeah, there is always a first time and I thought of straightening my priceless curls for the first time that had grown longer until them. I loved my straight hair and I could not stop looking at them in the mirror. It was a temporary arrangement again. I fear that a permanent straightening will finish the volume, which my hair has.

 

I get a hair spa done every month. you know what, If you care for your hair, they care for you. Your hair don’t only make you look good, but also add charms to your personality. The kind of hairstyle you keep displays your mood and boosts your confidence. Change your hairstyle on occasions and see the different colors of your persona. A stroke on your head makes you feel good, running your fingers through your hair helps releases your tensions, isn’t it? Soft, caressing and lovely, that’s how your healthy hair should be while they should be cared for.

(AS A PART OF CONTEST FOR INBLOGGER)