BB Cream or CC Cream, Confused?

Too many choices sometimes make you so confused in taking decsions. And,  finally when you set your mind for any one it becomes necessary to ensure that it fulfils your requirement, just like chosing the right foundation for your skin tone. There are many overwhelming options available in the market today like Tinted Moisturizers, Skin perfectors, Skin glow sheers, Creamy and Powdery foundations, BB creams and CC creams. There may be even more with various other names.

For me personally, BB and CC creams are multi purpose and the alternate of minimal / light coverage of the skin. There is so many words available to define the difference between these both. I have  tried numerous options of BB/CC creams and still after 2-3 months when I am done with one, I want to try somethig different and may be with different brand. I have some favourites in my list too for which I will post reviews in coming days.

PURPOSE:

It all depends what you want and for which purpose you are getting ready. I keep my full coverage foundation for special ocassions (day/night party out) like if I want to lighten / even out my skin tone for longer durion. We all know that the foundation has been in the market for ages. Foundation is quite thicker in consistency, comes in different shades for different skin tone and it can be used in daily wear or for special occasions as I stated before. There are different levels of skin coverage and for that purpose you have have to choose the type of foundation wisely.

SKIN TYPE
If you want an extreme coverage, go for sheer formulas
If you have a dry skin, go for high level moisturzing formula
Combination skin type can opt for matte effect or oil free multi purpose medium to low coverage formula
Mature or aging skin tone people can go for anti-aging formula 

Difference between BB Cream and CC Cream

If you want the look of foundation but purpose is to use as everyday wear and do not wish to have a heavy look then BB and CC creams are one of the best choices you have these days in the market. They have pigment to help out even skin tone and light weighted that will give you the feel of natural look.

BB Creams are an Asian base which stands for 'beauty balm' or blemish base or blemish balm. BB creams have actually been around for close to 50 years, but they only became popular in South Korea in the mid-1980s and have since evolved into a global beauty blockbuster. For best results, use a BB Cream containing Niacinamide and an SPF of at least 15. Niacinamide lifts away dead skin cells for an even complexion and SPF protects against sun damage. BB creams can beautify your skin in many ways. It is probably lighter than any standar foundation and thicker than a tinted moisturizer / skin perfectors. The another best thing I find is that BB creams are genreally available in fewer shades and I am more leaned towards using BB creams because it solves my purpose.

Some of my favourites : tried and tested on skin

L'oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Cream - Shade Medium

Maybelline Dream BB Fresh 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector - Shade 110 Light/Medium Sheer tint

NYC BB Creame 5-in-1 - Shade Natural

MAC Prep+Prime BB Beauty balm SPF 35 - Shade Light plus (Light Beige)

L'oreal Skin perfection BB Creame 5-in-1 - Shade Fair

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream - Shade Medium / Light

On the other hand if I compare CC Cream which stands for Color Corrector is genrally lighter on the skin than any BB cream. Personally, I have tried only fewer CC creams and found less/no difference in both. CC creams are meant to address issues like redness, hyperpigmentation and sallowness. CC creams give lighter shade and fluffy feel on the skin tone. They are perhaps the improved version of BB creams.

Look for CC creams with Niacinamide and vitamins B and E to help recapture skin’s youthful glow. Niacinamide exfoliates to reduce the look of wrinkles, while vitamins B and E help strengthen skin's natural defense against moisture loss.

Some of CC Creams which I tried are -

Lakme Complexion Care Face Cream- Shade Beige

Lakme CC complexion Care Cream All in one  9to5 - Shade Beige

Lumene Time Freeze CC Cream - Shade Light

In my list to try - 

Aveeno Positively Radiant CC Cream 

Mary Kay CC  Cream

HOW TO APPLY

Using a BB or CC cream is simple. Apply and blend evenly with your fingertips or a makeup sponge for natural, sheer coverage. Wear it alone as a daily moisturizer or layer under your favorite foundation for natural-looking, beautiful skin!

TIP

Always test out products on your skin / hands before buy to see which you like best, play with texture, and read the ingredients!

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Review : Brazilian Blowout Prostyle Acai Brazilian Dry Oil

Hello Everyone,

Hoping last weekend was good for you all.

My today's pick is Acai Brazilian Dry Oil by Brazilian Blowout. This oil is good for all those who have frizzy and thick hair.

My husband is using this from past few weeks and he gave a nice review after using it. He was really suppressed by his hair frizziness and thus his hair dresser suggested this dry oil to apply after the hair wash. If you have gone for any Brazilian blowout, you can definitely apply this to keep your hair as it is for some more days. Somehow I think it is like hair serum but more thicker. This is considered as dry oil so that you cant feel your hair drowned in some oil tank (kidding). It will lock the hair moisture and also it will give the fast drying formula. Good product for frizzy hair. After applying this dry oil you do feel some softness in hair to manage under the windy weather for sure. My husband gave this product a thumbs up. Thus, I am also planning to use it after my next hair wash (smiles) though I have sort of mix hair type (thick, long and dry).


About the Product 

Acai Brazilian Dry Oil is a fast-absorbing, lightweight oil that can be used daily to smooth, reconstruct and improve the health of all hair types. It is an exclusive Brazilian Super-Nutrient Complex works to strengthen the hair, reconstructing and smoothing even the most damaged strands without weighing hair down. It adds brilliant shine, reduces drying time and leaves no residue or build up. It also will not alter color. The end result is beautiful, frizz-free radiant hair.


Ingredients:

Water, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Cyclopentasiloxane Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimoniumchloride, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Mistidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed butter, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Bixa Orellana Seed Extract, VP/DMAPA/Acrylates Copolymer, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexlglycer, Hexylene Glycol, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Fragrance (Parfum) We cannot accept returns on this product. Due to manufacturer packaging changes, product packaging may vary from image shown.

Quantity: 3.4 oz / 100 ml

Links to Buy: 
Amazon - Price : $15.99
Walmart - Price : $11.99
Brazilian Blowout online store - Price : $26.00

MRP Rating 

2.5/5 

Chief Point 

It is not for all hair type and I do not recommend for silky, thin and stright hair. 

Review: Organic Harvest Face Wash

Hello Everyone,

I hope all Indians might have enjoyed Deepawali (2017) with full enthusiasm. It was my first Diwali in Washington State and really enjoyed the surroundings with colorful lights and candles. Diwali is the festival of hindus (Indians) and they celebrate exactly the way people in western countries celebrate the Christmas Eve.

Today I am going to have a review on Organic Harvest face washes (3-in-1 and Skin Lightening)  that I am using it from last few months. Organic Harvest is an Indian Home grown brand. It was last Dec'16 I found that product in one of the local grocery stores in India and after using it for a month I actually got a stock for me here in US. The good news is Organic Harvest products can be shipped worldwide now.

About the Product 

1. Organic Harvest 3-in-1 Face Wash Insta Fresh

This Face Wash is called 3-in-1 because of its three main purposes - Cleansing, Scrubbing and Whitening.  It is a Paraben free formula with no added Mineral oil and Animal Ingredients. The active used in this face wash is pure Ribose, a natural pentose obtained by biotechnology from com seed sugars. It stores energy to the skin for a global anti-aging action. It has irregular-shaped granules (as shown in the image above) which are soft enough to prevent scratches on the skin.

Ingredients:
Aqua, Pure Ribose, Scrubbing beads and Polyquaternium 79 surfactant base.

2. Organic Harvest Skin Lightening Face Wash 

This one is a cream based face wash enriched with a naturally driven surfactant, cleanses your skin to have lightening skin tone. A Morus Alba (White Mulberry) extract, helps in skin whitening, brightening, shining and lightening. NATRUE certified and natural plant derived active, used in this face wash has NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factors) for longer motorization.

Price:
Price varies from country to country
I got 3-in-1 face wash in Rs 395 and Skin Lightening in Rs 375. from India

Links to Buy: 
Organic Harvest 3-in-1 Face Wash
Amazon.in
Amazon.com
eBay
Herbalusastore

Organic Harvest Skin Lightening Face Wash
Amazon.com 

Direction to Use: 
Pour into palm and apply to thoroughly wet face. Work lather. Scrub it for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

My Take On: 
Its been more than 10 months I am using Organic Harvest Face washes. I recommend 3-in-1 Face wash for Summers and creamy based skin lightening in winters though both can be used in any weather type. These face washes are also for all skin type. My skin is quite normal and sometimes combination type in winters.

I really liked the green colored packaging (organic color) when I first had a look of this product in an Indian store. Fragnance is also quite nice. There are some Pros and Cons I have experienced which are enlisted below.

Pros: 
1. Bothe Face washes have nice smell that stays in your skin for sometime
2. 3-in-1 is granaul scrub based and Skin Lightening is creamy based
3. Cleanses well
4. Exfloiates the skin smoothly
5. A refreshing feeling after the use
6. Both Face washes are for any weather or any skin type
7. I have normal skin type so it does not dry much as my previos face washes did dry my skin.
8. Use daily once or twince (in a day)
9 It is an organic product, should be 100% vegan as it claims Paraben free formula with no added Mineral oil and Animal Ingredients.

Cons:
1. Scrub particles are very mild. I think if 3-in-1 face wash has one of the purposes as scrubbing then granuales can be little more wild. But it is still not a con for those who like mild scrubs

2. Both face washes claim to be lightening and whitening the skin, I mean really. I did not feel it works for that purpose. I am using this product from months and it did not lighten my skin.

Anyways it makes me think when people here in USA or in other western countries like to tan their skin and take sun baths for tanning like Indians. And, Indians always look for the whiter, brighter products to be used. I do not think any product can lighten your skin tone. Why anybody would want that? I leave this question to you all.

MRP Rating

3.5/5

Chief Point - Recommended

Review : HSI Professional Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair Straightener

Hello Everyone,

We all know about the significane of HairCare. Hair is another treasure more than any expensive jewelry for girls/womens. We all can flaunt just by making different hair-styles and not using even a pinch of make-up can make any girl special on its own way. So, why to make a compromise? We should be very careful while choosing hair oil, shampoos and even hair-style electric machines. I love experimenting with my long hair. Sometimes I make the simple braid or french braid and most of the times I like to keep them straight open. So, for that, I really needed a good quality hair straightener for my long thick hair. When I was in India I did try some branded electric hair machines like Philips, Panasonic, Revlon, and Vega. But being in the USA I wanted to try some brand made in the USA. So, here it is, I bought HSI Professional hair straightener. It's been almost a year I am using this straightener and hardly got any issue. This is an amazing product for all hair type. A beautiful pouch, one hand glove, the sample of HSI hair argon oil and a hair-style booklet were also included along with the hair straighter. Normally other brands do not provide all in such cost.

Product: Made in USA

Price: $38.05 (may vary in different online stores)

Quantity: One Hair Straightner, One hand glove for heat resistant small sample pack of hair argon oil and hair styling booklet.

Links to Buy: 

Amazon.com

Walmart

Target

HSI Professional Store

Ebay

Bonanza.com

Jet.com

My Take On - 

Pros -

1. Effective and consistent results for all hair type (thick or thin or frizzy)

2. Easy to use

3. Performance is good and longevity.

4. Rapidly reaches its maximum temperature which is 450 degrees. 

5. Nothing is perfect in this world so I won't call it perfect but at less than $50 you can not beat the value.

6. Can be used for different hair styling i.e Straightening, curls, Waves

Cros -

Honestly, I tried to straighten my hair and also made wavy curls, I did not find any negatives. But yes

1. An extra hand glove (I mean for both hands) would be an advantage as I do feel the heat on my both hands while straightening the hair. Perhaps, the reason is I have long hair.

2. Some customers might find a blade little short. For me, it was good as I am okay to spend a little more time with this handy straightener.

MRP Rating 

3/5

Chief Point - Recommended

(Offer Expired)Free Samples : RAVITALIFT Triple Power Moisturizer from L'Oreal Paris

Offer Expired updated on 11/5/2017

www.lorealparisusa.com

Hello Ladies, 

L'Oreal Paris has been recently popping up a new challenge of 14 days to smoother, firmer and hydrated skin by its new product called, RAVITALIFT Triple Power Moisturizer. You simply have to register on this LINK - Click Here and you will receive 14 days free samples. Offer valid till supplies last. 

I have registered and waiting for my samples to receive. 

I will share my review after the use. 

Go on and register.

NOTE UPDATED - Offer Expired as on 11/5/2017

Review: Dove Intense Damage Repair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

The consequences of using ordinary products may lead in damaging the reality. I solely trust in using brand categories and new launch products. Ever since I know, I have changed lot many shampoos and tried home remedies for my dry long hair but the outcome remains same in a day or two. My hair was suffering ultra brittleness, dryness and split ends before I made a genuine come back to my old shampoo and conditioner-”Dove”. Its been two weeks I am using Dove-Damage therapy hair mask, shampoo and conditioner and it works. My hair are back in breathing. It was dead, rough, frizzy and unresponsive but now my hair flows like waves in the blowing air. My hair looked and felt amazingly soft.

I felt both surprised and delightful when I had received wonderful surprise package from Dove-Team for the review of newly launched Dove shampoo with keratin activities. I know I am little late in reviewing this product but believe me I am more than happy writing lately with full gratification. Everytime I wash my hair I feel the aroma of this shampoo whole day in my nerves too.

Products received:

1. Intense Repair Treatment- Hair Mask
2. Dove – Intense Repair Shampoo
3. Dove- Intense Repair Conditioner

How to apply? When it comes to your hair, there is no way to hide damage. So the only thing you can do is, repair it with “Dove”. I wash my hair every alternate day, which averages to 2-3 times a week despite knowing the fact I have long hair.

1. Before shampooing your hair, use the hair mask once or twice in a week. It is the natural process when weather changes your hair started behaving abnormally but this mask actually restores upto protein losses to make hair soft and smooth.
2. After 3-5 minute rinse off the hair mask completely and wash your hair ggently with Dove Intense Repair shampoo. Ensure to squeeze out the mask and shamppoo properly. Using extra quantity of shampoo is also harmful.
3. Apply the conditioner, leave on for a few minutes and rinse.
4. Then pat dry my hair and apply a serum if required. Usualy I use whenever I have to go out in the dust.

Aftereffects:

Dove intense repair shampoo n conditioners are the synonyms for silk it contains keratin actives when helps in nourishment of hair. The product`s aroma is really good, it’s like a fresh, clean fragrance.

• The consistency of the shampoo is a little thinner than other shampoos I’ve used and in my hand it feels pretty “light.” When I tilt my hand it slides of easily.
• The conditioner is only a little thicker than the shampoo. If I don’t squeeze my hair out nicely before putting it on, it glides off my hair.
• Immediately after washing my hair feels soft (like the cuticles are all smoothed down).
• I lose a lot less hair when I wash the product out. That is probably because the product moves around so easily, there’s no pulling or tugging while putting the product in or washing it out.
• I really don’t feel the need to use the serum with the shampoo and conditioner.
• It contains sodium laureth sulphate, which has been talked about a lot on this forum. The shampoo I was using before this is sulphate free. This foams more than my first shampoo, but it washes out pretty easy and my hair isn’t rough when I wash the shampoo out, like it is when I use other sulphate containing shampoos.
• My hair is actually shiny after use, which doesn’t happen with my normal shampoo and conditioner until I use serum afterward.
• On day two (the day I skip washes), my hair is very oily when I wake up in the morning.
• On day two my scalp is itchy and there is a lot of buildup on it; by evening I feel like have to wash my hair again.
• And my hair falls limp and is totally flat, especially at the roots.

you can also refer my earlier articles and hairy tales

Moments from despair to bliss 

Hairy tales 

MRP Rating 
2.5/5

HairCare: Moments from despair to bliss

Hair brings one’s self-image into focus; it is vanity’s proving ground. Hair is terribly personal, a tangle of mysterious prejudices. ~Shana Alexander

If ever you find someone in crowd is asking –“What is best in you?” you might have hear answers like – smile, eyes, skin, height, color, style, looks but my personal experience says, 55% of girls among that crowd would give an answer –‘my hair’ and I am one of 55% who proudly can announce - yes i have beautiful long hair.

Some are naturally blessed, some have to put lot of efforts and some spends huge money to make their hair lustrous in a crowd. Before I proceed, I would like to thank DOVE for giving an opportunity to reveal the secret of my “beautiful hair story”.   

I still remember the time, when I was careless bird in my school and unaware of the beauty i am blessed with. Nine years back, everything was going fine until I left my home for higher studies.

As I said earlier, I was a careless bird, so I did not even know to tie my hair properly and became habitual to go to college with open long, heavy and brittle hair. I had missed my mamma more at the time of tying and used to scream while brushing hair. One day, I noticed my hair started falling and imagined that may be it was because of new place and change of water still I did not even cared for it. The whole 4 years of engineering, I was praised for my long hair and also I was being humiliated by craziest jokes of my friends in hostel for such rough and brittle hair. I was kept switching oil and shampoos to get some bright shiny hair but I was failed in my every different trial. I was stressed for both reasons semester exams and hair fall.

You know sometimes when nature endowed you with something, you have to be extra cautious in keeping that safe forever and hair are something once u loose, chances are rare to get it back. Sadly, my hair fall increased rapidly and it was almost half of my hair length remained when I realized my last statement. 

(My enclosed secrets):

I tried many shampoos for extra blush, added fruits and nourishing diet in my food list but the shampoo which trusted me most was DOVE and it was DOVE conditioner I found necessary mild element after shampooing it. So, instead of lamenting about hair problems, read some healthy points that how I have recovered back from hair fall, split ends and hair roughness -

Nutritious Diet: Are you a diet cautious? If the answer is yes, then let me tell you girls, whoever have long hair should never do strict dieting because dieting can be dangerous for your hair too. The reason behind it is very clear, whatever you eat is directly proportional to your hair quality and the food you eat, 25-30 % of your food is consumed by your hair. So, if you are having a healthy diet, your hair will rationally look nourish. 

Drinking fluids: We are aware of the drinking fact like 7 or 8 glasses of water in a day but how many of you actually follow? I know the answer, as I am experienced one. Instead of having the cup of coffee or tea i increased the quantity of juicy fruits, lemonade and healthy drinks which covers the lack of water in body, believe me it helps a lot for both your health and hair.

Know your hair: Do you really know your hair type? If the answer is yes, you must aware of what kind of shampoo should you use? And conditioner should be of same brand. If you are using shampoo and conditioner of different brands, you might be in risk to damage your hair quality. I was having rough hair problem, I started oiling my hair before 1-2 hours of hair wash, used conditioner after shampooing my hair and also ensured that the oil should rinsed properly. After I followed that process; it took me around five months in getting burnished hair.

Hair Problems: There is countless hair problems you have had hear like hair fall, split ends, hair fading, grey or tangled hair, Auburn or chromatic hair issues or many others and it is easy to damage your hair than repair it. Apart from rough hair, I’d also face other problems like hair-fall and split-ends. I was not getting any way to come out, so forgetting about my long hair I decided to trim hair by 1/3 of its length to remove split ends but sadly trimming did not affected much. Hair-fall was another my biggest problem left behind. A year back, I used Dove Damage Therapy Hair Fall Rescue shampoo when it was new to the market. And believe me; hair fall rescue treatment Mask actually has detangling effect if you would use it in proper manner. It was long time back when I used to iron my hair occasionally but Dove Damage Therapy blissed me naturally with straight hair.

Release yourself from Stress: If you are stress free, proportionally you are free from all your problems including hair. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. So face it, learn from it and head on. 

My Thumb Rules: Hair is precious gift and a priceless ornament for me. I made some thumb rules before I go for any further trials:

Ø      Have healthy Diet

Ø      Drink plenty of water (Also, ensure it should not exceed its limit, excessive water equally can be harmful)

Ø      Use both shampoo and conditioner that suits best to your hair; make your own opinion rather than following others.

Ø      If your hair quality is rough, use oiling an hour or two before hair washes.

Ø      Wash your hair with lukewarm or cold water.

Ø      Rinse it off properly and ensure shampoo must not remain in your scalp.

Ø      Never use conditioner to the scalp or root of hair.

Ø      Using of comb on wet hair can lead to hair fall, ensure the same.

Ø      Avoid blowing dryer or heating tools unnecessarily; extra heat can damage your hair.

Ø      If you have dandruff or oily hair avoid over oiling to your scalp.

Ø      Avoid dust and direct sun rays if you can.

It’s been continuous three years I am using DOVE and it blissed me out from my hair problems. 

Now, I can open my long shiny hair without any stress and I feel my hair also smiles with me sometimes. This is how I have put an end to my hair problems and brought my long beautiful hair back with extra blush. 

P.S.: To know more about your hair, do visit on Dove- Hair aware-app

Image Sources:

http://funandhealthyeating.blogspot.in

http://www.plumepress.com

http://www.glamzzle.com

http://www.dove.us/

http://google.com/lee-min-jung-for-dove-shampoo-cf/

“You can not escape from all your problems, if you keep recalling your past”

P.S> This article originally posted by me on my personal blog : Click Here