Braun Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa - 7951 Wet&Dry Epilator review

Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa - 7951 Wet & Dry Epilator Review

This is my first epilator so I can't do comparative review with other brands. I bought this from flipkart after reading plenty of positive responses of people. So when it arrived, I was so excited to use it. There was immense faith and assurance because of reviews that this will work and life will be so easy 😂. I have only tried waxing once or twice and it has been a hell of a painful experience. So I stick to shaving. But it becomes a daily chore as the hair comes back the very next day. I do not like spending time on beauty stuff, the less the better for the peace of mind. So I bought Braun epilator with very high expectations. The day one was so painful that it deterred me from using it ever again. Really I never tried after that and I made peace with the shaving hassles. 

This epilator was with me for around two years then, one fine day I decided to give it another try. Here is my review on this epilator.

Braun Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa - 7951 Wet&Dry Epilator
1. Braun Epilator body 2. Cleaning brush

3. Sensitive cap 4. Face cap 5. Protection Cap 6. Exfoliation brush 7. Pouch 8. Exfoliation brush attachment 9. Trimmer

Price: ~ ₹9500 (INR)

What it claims: (reference - https://in.braun.com)

   The best 2 in 1 epilation and exfoliation system. For smooth and radiant skin, for your whole body.

 Exfoliation brush head

10.000 fine bristles gently sweep away dead skin cells and stimulate the regeneration of the skin surface.

Shaver head

Allows you to use your epilator as a full-fledged dry shaver.

Trimmer cap

To trim hair in sensitive areas.

Sensitive area cap

Perfectly fits to underarms and bikini areas.

Facial cap

To remove unwanted facial hair.

Close-Grip Technology

With 40 tweezers removes hair as small as a grain of sand for perfect smoothness.

High Frequency Massage system

Softly stimulates the skin for extra gentleness.

Pivoting head

Smoothly adapts to body contours for superior comfort and efficiency.

Wet&Dry

Can be comfortably used it in a bath or shower for an extra soothing experience.

Brush attachment

Sonic exfoliation

Visibly refines skin with 3000 micro-vibrations per minute.

High density brush

With 10.000 fine bristles gently removes dead skin cells and stimulates skin regeneration.

My views you can use:
Noisy at first :) . Yes, I find the noise bit annoying. But I guess with time you learn to ignore the noise as you ignore all the pricking pain. Epilation is not a painless process. Surprisingly it is easier to epilate small hair but you need to go over the area again and again. The hair doesn't get picked up in one swipe. So, the process is time consuming.
I first used it on my hands and legs and I am happy with the results. For underarm, it bled in the hair follicle after plucking and the pain was intolerable so I dreaded the thought of trying it on any other sensitive area. My upper lip area was scratched and bruised badly when used with sensitive area cap. May be I should have used facial cap. I will update the review on other items in the kit like trimmer, exfoliation brush, and how it performs with facial cap on upper lip.

Overall score:
I don't think epilation is for everyone. In waxing, the large area gets cleared off in one go but here you pluck hair off from very small area and this amplify the pain. Considering the price, pain and performance, Braun Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa is an average epilator. 

For legs and hand
 💗💗💗/💚💚💚💚💚
For upper lip and underarm
💗/💚💚💚💚💚

Hope this post was useful!

~Ren

VICHY Ideal Soleil SPF 60 Mexoryl XL Face and body Review

Hello peeps,

Summer time!!! and sunscreen searching time for me at least. I like lotus gel based sunscreen, just wish it wasn't so waterproof 😐. Anyway, I had to go on a trip to Banff-Jasper and my sunscreen got over and the one I ordered on amazon is still on the way, somewhere on this planet. With no signs of delivery and trip day approaching, I decided to buy VICHY Ideal Soleil SPF 60. Fancy french name, trusted brand, and great reviews, I had high expectations.

Quantity: 150 ml

What product claims: Sheer lotion bare skin feel. Non greasy texture. Dry touch moisturising
Hypoallergenic, fragrance free, paraben free. Broad spectrum sunscreen.

Price: CAD $30 London Drugs

VICHY Ideal Soleil SPF 60  Mexoryl XL  

VICHY Ideal Soleil SPF 60  Mexoryl XL 

My views you can use:

Non scented for sure! Is it non greasy? Hmm...somewhat. Not as greasy as Banana boat sunscreen, but it bit greasy. For dry skin the little greasiness provide some shine and moisture to skin but I am doubtful about the effect on oily skin. I think it will fail miserably on oily or combination skin type. Vichy ideal soleil sunscreen doesn't leave white cast but if you apply too much it does leave a cast. I find it good for hands and legs but not very sure about face. It melts my maybelline gel eyeliner and smudges it badly. This really annoys me as it usually never smudges. 
The best thing about Vichy is that it protects from sun, really it does. I wore it this summer and was in harsh sun for long hours (almost entire day) but there was no tanning. 

I am not sure about non comedogenic or hypoallergenic claim because I got two pimples. Let me use it for few more months to cross check.

Overall score: 💗💗💗/💚💚💚💚💚

Yes, I will use it on hands and legs. For my normal-dry skin, it fits the need. 

Hope this post was useful!

~Ren

Seviyan kheer /Sweet Vermicelli recipe

Sevaiyan / Sweet Vermicelli 

Hi,

Today, I am going to give an easy yet delicious recipe of Seviyan or sweet vermicelli recipe. Most people use condensed milk and prefer roasting vermicelli in ghee (clarified butter). But, I am avoiding these ingredients in my attempt to keep the calories low without compromising its taste. Off course kheer is not a diet food or supposed to be calorie-free 😂. Consider my recipe as low-calorie version of our regular seviyan. This is very much an indian recipe. I am not using any processed or ready to use stuff. 

Ingredients

1. Roasted thin vermicelli* 1Cup 

2. Milk  4 Cup

3. Sugar (optional) 1 Tablespoon

4. Dry fruits - Almonds, cashew or raisins (optional)

5. Cardamon (optional)

*try buying roasted vermicelli so that you do not need to roast it in ghee

Steps

1. Boil milk in a pan on high flame and once it boils (milk rises to the rim of the pan), lower the      flame. Let the water evaporate. Meanwhile, you can keep other ingredients ready or just sit and relax.

2. When you see the milk is thickening, add sugar. Sugar can be added as per your taste, I just find 1 tablespoon sweet enough. Note that milk (1 Cup) itself has ~ 13g natural sugar and we are using 4 cups. As the water evaporates,  milk will be further sweetened. To make typical sweet seviyan, add more sugar.

3. Add vermicelli (seviyan) and stir well. Let it cook in condensed milk.

4. If you want the seviyan to be thinner add more milk and let it cook.

5. Add dry fruits and cardamon.

5. Cook for around 5-7 minutes at low flame.

Once seviyan is cooked, keep it in refrigerator to cool.

~ Ren

Mount Baker Washington

Nooksack Falls / Nook falls

Nooksack falls or Nook falls is a spectacular waterfall in the Whatcom County of Washington. If you are planning a visit to Mount Baker, then this fall can be visited on the way, just about 10-15 minutes before Mt. Baker, on left side. It will hardly take 5 minute following the Nook falls exit.

Since the area is quite slippery and rocks often fall off, it is advised to avoid the trail down. There is a viewing spot that gives majestic view of water dropping off 88 feet into rocky river canyon, creating mist all around.

Enjoy the view!

Nooksack falls

Nooksack falls

Nooksack falls

Biorè UV Aqua rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ Review

I was searching online for the perfect sunscreen and came across various sites and reviews on amazon raving about this particular sunscreen, which is a Japanese product named Biore. The reviews were so promising that even though it is not sold in Canada, I tried hard to find it at various Chinese store and as luck would have it, I finally found it!

This is my first review of a Biore product.

Biorè UV Aqua rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

Biorè UV Aqua rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

Quantity: 50 g

What product claims: 😕Don't know! Everything about the product and its ingredient list is in Japanese.

Price: CAD $25 price varies depending upon the seller on amazon and store

My views you can use:

Mildly scented and texture is really good, runny and lightweight. I instantly fell in love with it and thought I found my perfect umbrella for summer. However, it was too early celebration. I used it for around a month and observed that my skin, which is usually hydrated and normal type in summer is turning dry and scaly. I knew Biorè Aqua rich has high alcohol content but decided to give it a try reading numerous positive reviews from dry skin people. Although this provides good sun protection, it doesn't work well for my overall skin health as it strips off its natural moisture, making it dehydrated and dull.

Will definitely not purchase this ever again. I might try other sunscreen from Biore with less alcohol content. (if at all there is any!)

Overall score: 💗💗/💚💚💚💚💚

Although it is good in texture and an efficient sunscreen I gave it a low score because ultimately it harms skin which is worse than having sun burn.

Hope this post was useful!

~Ren

Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sunscreen Gel SPF 20 Review

My skin sometimes suffer from photo sensitivity known as PLE (Polymorphous Light Eruption). This causes small blisters like thing, which is rarely itchy, to appear on skin exposed to sun. I first experienced this when I was around 12 years old, then when in college. The most annoying part of PLE is the white patches which appears when the skin is exposed to strong UV rays at noon (10am - 2pm). 

The patches and PLEs fades eventually within few weeks but I guess it is better to avoid having them in first place by taking precautions. For that reason, I am always on a hunt for a perfect sunscreen which is non greasy😑 and does not cause whitish cast on body. Unfortunately, most sunscreen which offer good full spectrum sun protection does makes you look greasy and ghosty. A full spectrum sunscreen provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA causes age spots and wrinkles while UVB burns the skin which makes it look tan. Now, who wants to look uneven tanned wherein exposed face, legs and arms of different colour than that of neck and abdomen. It looks as if different human race was assembled to make one race. My skin tans quickly if there is no sun protection. Sometimes I do go out without sunscreen to get natural dose of Vitamin D but often I need this greasy umbrella to fight PLEs and tan. 


So, here I am reviewing my encounter with Lotus gel based sunscreen. I hope you will find it useful.

Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sunscreen Gel SPF 20

Lotus Herbals Safe Sun Sunscreen Gel SPF 20

Quantity: 100 g

Price: Rs 245
           CAD $15-30 on amazon.ca

Product claims:

A revolutionary gel, the only one in sun care range, containing Babchi seed extract, provides full spectrum sun protection. Also contains  'Phenyl Benzimidazole Sulfonic acid', the only water soluble sunscreen agent to provide synergistic protection against full spectrum UV rays, therefore lightens the complexion and retards ageing process.

My views you can use:

Sun protection: This non drying broad spectrum sunscreen effectively provides sun protection and minimises sun burn. However, because it is water soluble you need to reapply it as and when it is washed or say every 2-3 hours. 
If your skin gets tanned in 10 minutes, the SPF 20 will provide 20 times more protection that is you will tan after 200 minutes(~3hours). So, you need to reapply every three hours. So, how a particular SPF works on an individual varies with how faster his/her skin tans. Another disadvantage of this sunscreen is that it is absolutely no-no for rainy days or when it could rain, just give this gel a miss. Once I applied it all over my body and stepped out in rain, and I was all sleek and slimy. For humid weather, it performs fairly well as unlike other sunscreen this doesn't make you sweat profusely. But you need to reapply often due to sweating.
Texture : Gel based so absolutely non greasy and suitable for oily skin. I have dry to normal skin and, I love this formula. The best I have come across among sunscreens in terms of non greasy weightless texture. This gives matte finish with little glow.
Smell : As long as it is works well, serves the purpose and is not highly scented to annoy people in vicinity I don't mind how it smells! However, for some of you who do mind, it doesn't smell great. 
Value for money : Yeah!

Overall score: 💗💗💗💕/💚💚💚💚💚

Seeing is believing, notice the picture I have posted! I have used it religiously in summer that once it got over and pump couldn't take out the little amount left at bottom. So, I opened and tried different tricks to get the gel out in desperation 😂, even the cap is missing. The empty bottle is the sign of good product😏. I have reduced few points because there is scope for improvement. Also, lotus herbals sun safe is not completely herbal, it has alcohol and chemicals.

Hope this post was useful!

~Ren