Beauty Trail: Permanent (Upper Lip) Hair Remover Lotion

I'm so lazy when it comes to getting up upper lips done. For me it's a nightmare. I'm such a baby, I start dreading the pain and keep delaying the inevitable. Today, I finally got them done (because I'm meeting my friend Aroosa, the moochain (moustache) inspector).
The girl who was did my threading, Alisha, told me that she has a 'treatment' that can get rid of the unwanted hair about four to five months. 

 'No need for a laser treatment'

'Removes unwanted hair from your face'

Without much deliberation I screamed out a "YESSS" (it was more like "haaaan", but you get what I mean). After she did my threading, she put this serum/lotion called the 'Permanent Hair Remover Lotion' on my upper lip for about ten minutes. When the serum/lotion dried she dabbed on some more. She did the same for the third time. 

Now I'm supposed to dab it on my upper lips before I got to bed tonight. I also have to apply it once a day for the next four days. After that I have to repeat the same process she did today (dab it on three times after it dies) after fifteen days (pheeew). That's a lot of dabbing isn't it?

Hopefully after that my upper lips will be hair free for the next couple of months. Well, that is if this tiny bottle lives up to it's claim! I have my fingers crossed. I'll keep you guys updated about this 'treatment'. 

It cost me Rs600, which is pretty reasonable when I think about the painless months ahead. It didn't hurt or burn my skin when she applied it. It did itch a little but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Otherwise it just felt like a cold, thick liquid. It hasn't caused my skin to break out either. 

Let me know in the comments below if this is something you're interested in and want to see updates on. Do you dread getting your upper lips done as much as I do?

PS. This 'treatment' can be used for most parts of the body

Sana

Hair Care: Coriander Oil

(No, you didn't come to the wrong place. This post is about Coriander oil and not Starbucks coffee)

We all want flawless hair, right? I know I do! I've always had fine/thin hair and I made my peace with it a long time ago. I used to straighten it a lot and now I have fine/thin damaged hair. I had to stop straightening and I tried not to use a lot of products on my hair.

Flash forward a few years, and I'm still paranoid about using straighteners. I rarely straighten my hair! People who had forgotten what the natural texture of my hair looked like, have forgotten what I looked with straight hair. Yes, I had to make peace with the fact that my hair is not my best friend. 

I do get rebellious though. It happens every summer when one of my best friends Sara and I go swimming every single day for an entire month. We have a blast swimming for a month and then I have stop because *gulp* I start losing hair. Imagine my misery. This happens every year without a fail! Some one else in my position would just stop swimming altogether. No, not I! I ditch Sara for the rest of the summer and then start obsessing over my hair. 

What do I do? I start oiling my hair. (did I even say that correctly?)

Two years ago (brace your selves for another story) I changed my shampoo for a few days and got dandruff. I started using Coriander (dhania) oil for the dandruff. I can't recommend this enough for people who are suffering from it!! You will see the difference within days (for me it took two days).

I've always noticed that when I start using this oil I have less hair in my brush. It's also easier for me to brush my hair. My hair does look a lot more shiny and has noticeably more life in it. Obviously it's no miracle worker. It does help in hair regrowth and hair fall, but for that give it a few weeks before you see a difference. There will be difference in your hair though with time. What you won't like about this oil is the smell. It has a strong funky smell to it, but you'll get use to it.  

I store mine in whatever bottle I have laying around. This time I stored it in the Starbucks bottle. You'll find Coriander oil in your local markets where herbal products are available. Also, try looking for a store that sells herbs and oils, I'm sure you'll find it there. 

I hope this post is helpful. I know what a misery hair can be and this is something that saves my hair every time. 

Sana

Beauty Secret: Yogurt and Olive Oil Hair Mask

I've been obsessing over my hair so much these days. It's always been extremely dry and (often) frizzy but these days it's just been lifeless. I came across a recipe for a home-made hair mask, which I thought I'd try out. I've tried it twice, and the results have been pretty good.

The Mask:
Mix one cup of plain, whole milk yoghurt with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and apply the mask after you've washed your hair.  The mask sits for five minutes and is then rinsed out.


I did all of the above except, just rinsed out my hair. After shampooing, I applied the mask, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. I rinsed it out at first, but my hair still felt greasy, so I had to wash my hair for the second time. It worked just as well!


Did it work? Surprisingly, it did! I have wavy hair, and my hair looked straighter and for once it was easy to brush through it. I scrunched my hair while it was still wet, because that's just the way I like it. Otherwise I'm pretty sure they would've been relatively straighter. My hair has been glossy and soft ever since I've used it. Today my cousin complimented me on my "bouncy curls". (They're so lifeless otherwise) This 'hair mask' is so simple I didn't even think it'd work, but it does. <3


Is this something you're going to try out? Let me know your beauty/hair secrets.

Sana

Smelling Funky? Don't Sweat It!

I dread summers in Lahore! Why? First of all its unbearably hot and secondly the loadshedding makes it ten times worse. The one thing I always try to stock up on is a patkari, also known as alum stone and crystal deodorant. This stone can easily be found in Lahore or any other part of the world. My cousin and I swear by this. You can use this anywhere on your body and I guarantee that you'll stay odourless all day.

I've used this before going to the gym or going for a walk, and I've never had a problem of smelling sweaty. I just rub it once or twice in my arm pits, and I'm good to go. Obviously nothing transfers on your skin because it's just a stone, but for some reason it controls body odour in the best way possible. When I'm going out I spray my favourite perfume after using the patkari, and it helps make the scent last longer.

Patkari/Alum stone crystal deodorants are composed of potassium alum. It is a natural crystal, potassium alum is totally unprocessed and is free from synthetic ammonium. These stones are natural and have been used as deodorants for ages. The Body Shop have an entire line of roll on deodorant made of crushed patkari.

What you can do is crush the alum stone and mix it with rose water and store the mixture in an empty roll on deodorant bottle. Why spend extra at The Body Shop when you can make the same thing at home? If you don't want to go through the extra trouble, just store the stone in a dry place and use it when required.

These stones are safe both for the skin and environment. These non-toxic and hypoallergenic stones can be applied to anywhere on the body and are multi functional. Patkari is free from chemicals, perfumes and preservatives. 

Lahore is extremely, extremely hot at the moment and its a relief knowing that I don't have to be concious of B.O all the time!

Sana

Feeling Bloated? Here's A Quick Cure!

We all hate the feeling of being bloated, don't we? When we feel puffy like cotton candy (ha!ha! At least hat's how I imagine it)? This usually happens when we eat something that doesn't suit us or when we're near 'that' time of month. Here's a quick cure to make all the puffiness go away.

Mix a tea spoon of soda by carbonate (soda by carb) in a glass of water (there's probably some laying around in your house. It's often used in making pakora's). Stir it well, and drink it up! Trust me, it does wonders. You can actually feel the puffiness puffing away. Soda by carb also helps curing constipation and gassiness. 

I bloat/get super puffy near 'that' time of the month and this is a life saver for me!My face swells up too, and water + a tea spoon of soda by carbonate starts working within minutes to reduce all that. Don't worry about the taste, its tolerable! Once you get used to it, you won't even notice the taste.

Is this something you go through as well? 

(This doesn't make you lose weight, it just helps the swelling in the body go down)

Sana