Going Desi: Pink Kola Puri From Khaadi

Kola Puri From Khaadi

Honestly, I haven't even started wearing the shoes I bought back from my trip and I've bought three pairs of shoes since I've been back. In my defence (for once) my mother told me that I should get these. She's on a kula puri kick these days and I guess her obsession was infectious.

I've never seen pink kola puri's before. Trust Khaadi to come out with the cutest pair of kola puri's- ever! I've never paid much attention to Khaadi shoes before, and I wasn't particularly drawn in by their new display (out of habit) because all I really wanted was a new kurta. After going through the kurta rack a dozen times, and failing to find something that screamed "buy me" I gave up, and I headed to my second favourite section, the jewellery display. My mother was trying their kola puri's and I headed towards her. 

By the time I started trying on their shoes I had a vision of  me walking out with the gold kola puri's, not the pink ones. I was told that the gold ones (in the style that I wanted) have been sold out for weeks at every outlet (it just wasn't my day!). I loved how the pink ones looked on my feet, but to be honest I wasn't in love with them at first.

Kola Puri From Khaadi

Now, they've grown on me and I have to admit they are soft and comfortable to walk in. I love their pinkness! The colour does make them more limiting though, because I can't wear them with everything.
These kola puri's are ideal for the hot Lahori weather. They look more chic and put together than your average flip flops. I'll be buying the gold ones when they're back in stock.

 

Price: Rs1700

PS. I'm wearing Luscious Salsa on my nails. 

Going Desi: Khussa's From Khussa Mahal

Gold Khussas From Khussa Mahal

I've been wanting to invest in a good pair of khussa's for a while now. Maybe even months! I've been putting it off because just the thought of going to Liberty in this heat makes me shudder. A few days ago I finally decided to buy a pair of golden khusa's from Khusa Mahal ( In my head I don't know why Saleem Fabrics keeps popping up instead of Khusa Mahal).

Gold Khussas From Khussa Mahal

Gold Khussas From Khussa Mahal

Personally, I think Khussas look good with anything, but paired with a churidaar they personify laid back elegance. I chose simple golden ones because they'd go with everything. I've worn them a few times and it's safe to say I love them. Often, I find that one needs to wear them a few times before the leather starts feeling soft and comfortable. Surprisingly, these felt soft and comfortable the moment I slipped them on. 

Also, I love that these are a dull gold rather than a bright, in your face shiny gold. I can wear them casually, or on formal functions like a wedding (like I did two days in a row much to my mothers dismay. She wanted me to wear heels).

Gold Khussas From Khussa Mahal

These were for RS 850 which I think is a steal. Have you made a trip to Khussa Mahal recently? Are you going to?

Review: Ponds Flawless White Naturals Day Cream

Ponds Flawless White Naturals Day Cream

Ponds Claims:

"Pond's Flawless White Naturals day cream contains the wonder of Camellia leaf extract. Found in the foothills of the Himalayas, this precious extract contains powerful antioxidants to fight against the causes of skin darkening. After years of research, Pond's Flawless White Naturals day cream, containing the extraordinary Camellia leaf extract, is specially formulated to lighten skin and reduce dark spots. "

My Ponds cream has been battered and bruised as you can tell. I took it to Dubai with me and lets just say my bag wasn't very kind to it. I've almost used it up and before I say my final adieu to it I thought I'd do a review on it.

Ponds Flawless White Naturals Day Cream






Ponds Flawless White Naturals Day Cream


My love affair with Ponds has been going on forever and have loved all the variations that they came out with every year. The Ponds Detox cream was one of my favourite, and I was actually depressed that they discontinued it. I got addicted to the Ponds Flawless White cream that they came out with last year as well. I used it as my sunblock, and I loved it. I think I used up two or three jars of it last year. I'm guessing I shouldn't get attached to the Ponds creams because every year it's something new. Ponds came out with two creams this year and I've used both. This is the one that is on the more expensive side and I bought it first. I thought it was going to be same as last year but with different packaging, but I was mistaken.

When I first used it I was surprised that the texture of the cream was different (Ponds Detox and Flawless White were similar). It is light weight, soft and more moisturising than it's predecessor. Also, it doesn't have that same strong scent that I've now started associating with Ponds creams. It smells similar, but the scent is very subtle compared to the previous versions. Everything about it looked so promising until I started noticing little breaks outs erupting on my face. This was the only thing that I'd changed in my skin care routine, so I'm pretty sure this was the cause.





Ponds Flawless White Naturals Day Cream



Ponds Flawless White Naturals Day Cream


The cream claims to be all natural (hence the name), and I was surprised to see vicious things taking over my face one spot at a time (there were two or three before I left for Dubai). In Dubai I used it with my sunblock and I had more (subtle) break outs. Honestly, I was stubborn enough to still use the product because I didn't want to get a tan (hey, I'm being honest).

What I loved about White Flawless (the one that came out last year) was that it had cream to powder finish. It had a matte finish which made it ideal for oily skin. This on the other hand doesn't have that finish. It absorbed well and didn't look oily during the dry summer days, but after having used it during Lahore's legendary humid days it is safe to say it does make me look oily.

I don't have sensitive skin and this is first cream that has broken me out in years (subtle break outs, but still! Oh, and the bumps on my forehead would give any drama queen an anxiety attack).  The fact that it's not ideal for oily skin (unless you sweep powder over it) is a big turn off too. Before, I would just layer Flawless White all over my face and I was good to go. On the other hand it'll be ideal for people with dry skin. It's moisturizing and it'll work great for their skin type.

Other than that, I think it did it's job well. There were days I used this and ignored the sunblock and didn't notice any tanning. My best friend and I spent more than two hours at the beach and I surprisingly enough I didn't get a tan. It didn't lighten my skin though if thats what you're wondering. I was out in the sun more than usual during that week and a half, and didn't notice getting tanned which is worth pointing out. In my opinion this isn't as good as last years Flawless White.

Still, I don't think I will be repurchasing it again. (unless my vanity gets the better of me).  Let me know if you've tried this, or are planning on trying this. Has it caused you to break out?

Price: Rs770 (The prices may vary at different stores)

Review: Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

Clean&Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

Brace yourselves, but this may shock some of you but I haven't used a face wash/cleanser in years. I've only used pure rose water as a cleanser and it worked fine for me. I tried using face washes but they just broke me out and I gave up on them. I recently found something that didn't break me out after using it.

Before leaving for Dubai I started using a new cream which started breaking me out. I do get the occasional pimple which fade away after a day or two, so I didn't really worry about them. I still used the same cream in Dubai and small pimples started erupting on face and there were tiny bumps on my forehead. I guess I was enjoying myself too much to worry about them, but I had a panic attack at the airport (of all the places), on the way back.

On my last night my best friend and I stayed up till 3 am and watched a movie. She woke up at 6am and we got to spend a little more time together. I had to be at the airport by 11am and I still had a lot of packing to do so I didn't go back to sleep. Fast forward a couple of hours, and I'm at the duty free standing at the make-up section (how predictable, right?). I saw my reflection at the L'Oreal counter and I freaked out. I don't have big pores, but in that moment everything I saw just alarmed me. I saw big pores, uneven skin tone; tiny bumps on the forehead and oh those pores!!! It was all too much to take in!!! For a second I even cursed myself for not buying Benefits Porefessional! I had to do something about those pores!

Clean&Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

I turned around and I saw Clean&Clear products all lined up calling out to me with their seductive claims. I picked up the bottle nearest to me, skimmed through the claims, saw that it mentioned pores and I bought it. Yes, just like that. This is what lack of sleep and rows of beauty products does to me. It's madness! So was it all worth it? Thankfully, yes. I can't complain because I am blessed with clear, (usually) pimple free skin but I love how well the cleanser worked for me.

The first thing I noticed after using the cleanser was how smooth the texture of my skin became. The bumps on my forehead vanished after a day or two (they were bound to anyway, so I don't know if it's because of the cleanser), and there isn't a pimple on my face (touchwood).

I have oily skin, and I find that it controls excessive oiliness as well. I have been using it to remove my make-up as well, and it does a great job of erasing all the signs of make-up from my face. Now about those pores…ahem, I can tell my pores "tighten" after using it. Still, I love it most for the smooth texture of my skin rather than the tightening of the pores.

What I don't like about it is the strong medicine/alcohol-ish smell. The scent is a little unpleasant and if used around the eye area there may be some mild stinging.

I'm not saying it's a miracle product, but it definitely livess up to all its claims. It is great for people with oily/combination skin, like me.

Let me know if you're planning on trying this.