DIY: Hair Growth & Anti-Dandruff Oil

Thin hair, hair fall, dandruff and slow hair growth are some common problems faced by most of the girls, not to forget men are equally prone to these issues. Anyhow, I am sharing with you guys a simple DIY home made hair oil recipe which is tested to fight dandruff and make your hair grow.

Things You Will Need:

Coconut oil (50mL, No specific brand)

Castor oil (25mL, No specific brand)

2 – 3 fresh Aloe Vera leaves (Gel present inside is needed)

A sharp knife

A spoon for stirring

A cooking pot

A clean storage bottle (Washed, cleaned and completely dry)

Note: There is no hard and fast rule with the ratios of the oils and Aloe Vera, you may vary it. Just make sure you put enough Aloe Vera for the quantity of oil you use.

Method:

Wash the Aloe Vera leaves with water and start peeling them off with a sharp knife on one side. Be careful at this step and remove all the thorns first. Remove the gel present inside either with the blunt side of the knife or a table spoon. Do this step either over a clean kitchen slab or use some dish under as it is going to be extremely messy. Transfer the gel to the cooking pot, add coconut oil and put it over low flame on stove (sounds weird right?). You have to cook the oil and the gel slowly with continuous stirring until the gel starts turning black. Turn off the flame once the gel is completely reduced to a black mass; decant the oil to another clean container leaving the black residue behind. Cool it to room temperature, add castor oil and transfer into a storage container. All done.

Apply it to the hair, massage your scalp with and leave for at least 30 – 45 minutes before washing. Use this oil every time you wash your hair.

Aloe Vera has anti-fungal properties and one of the many causes of dandruff is a yeast-like fungus. Not only this, you can even eat Aloe Vera’s gel. It helps detoxify your body, soothes and cleanses the digestive tract and helps improve digestion preventing constipation or diarrhoea. Castor oil is best known for its properties to help hair growth. It’s very thick therefore mixing it with coconut oil will help spread it smoothly.

For Winter: Coconut oil solidifies in low temperatures therefore liquify it by placing the bottle containing the oil in warm water and shake well before use.

Remember, miracles don’t happen overnight and natural remedies do not show results quickly but after 3 to 4 uses you will definitely see a decline in dandruff, hair growth will take time so be consistent with the use.

Caution: Aloe Vera gives off awful smell while cooking so switch on the ventilation system while doing this (otherwise your mother might throw you out, haha kidding)

Good luck,

Fizzah

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com 

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Tag Post: Would You Rather? Beauty Edition

Hello lovelies. So here we are with our first tag post ever, thanks to Fatemah Sajwani of What Fatemah Says for tagging us. Check out her lovely work too :) 

Here are some simple rules before we start answering the questions

1. If you were tagged then do answer these tag questions!

2. Thank the blogger who tagged you and link back her blog in your tag post.

3. Tag any 5 bloggers whose tag post you would like to read!

Let’s get started!

Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice make-up or nice hair and no make-up?

Fizzah: I am into makeup for quite a few years now but lately I have become obsessed with not leaving the house without anything on my face (that too depends on the place and type of crowd, you know what I mean). :D I usually keep my head covered so the hair isn’t what bothers me. So yeah messy hair and nice make-up for me.

Sadaf: I like myself with nice hair and no makeup so that would be my choice. If I have nice makeup on and my hair is messy then I might as well wear none at all because nice hair are important for a finished look I believe.

Would you rather shave your eyebrows or have your eyelashes fall out?

Fizzah: My eyelashes are barely visible even if present haha so I could compromise them for my much-visible eyebrows.

Sadaf: Even if my eyelashes fall out, I could wear fake ones and use eye liner but I do not really like the idea of shaving off brows and painting them on instead like the Ancient Egyptians.

Would you rather be forced to shop at only MAC or Sephora for the rest of your life?

Fizzah: Sephora that would be for sure because of variety. I can find MAC there too ;)

Sadaf: Sephora obviously because I can find dupes of all the MAC products there in different brands.

Would you rather wear lipgloss/lipliner look or 80’s perm?

Fizzah: Hmmmm... I am not into experimenting with my hair, not at all. I fear losing them to treatments so no perm. Lipgloss/lipliner look for me.

Sadaf: My hair is straight so a perm would look absolutely awful on me. I often use the lip liner/ lip gloss look so that’s a safe bet.

Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or overdone blush?

Fizzah: Over done blush! An obvious foundation line is a punishable crime in my opinion for someone who says she can wear flawless makeup :D

Sadaf: I detest the foundation mistakes people make so just out of prejudice I would go with overdone blush even if it does make me look like Bozo the clown.

Would you rather wear MC Hammer pants or biker shorts in public?

Fizzah: Can I say neither? Haha! If I still have to choose then it would be MC Hammer pants no shorts for me.

Sadaf: I really like shorts and I absolutely loathe baggy pants so yes biker shorts for me even if it is in public.  

Would you rather have a bad orange-y spray tan or really weird tan lines that can’t be covered?

Fizzah: Oh gosh! I don’t like tans as I have enough melanin even without it. But yeah I have had days with bad orange-y tan so I can bear it.

Sadaf: Nothing is worse than orange skin because there is absolutely nothing natural about that colour. Tan lines are fine because I cover my body properly in every season so no one is going to see them anyway hehehe!

Would you rather have a bad haircut or bad hair colour?

Fizzah: No hair treatments!  I’ve gone through those days too when I had a bad haircut and wouldn’t care much. So, bad haircut all the way!

Sadaf: Bad hair colour is fine because it can be reversed with relative ease. I have been through my fair share of bad haircuts and they take forever to grow out and made to look remotely respectable.

Would you rather have YouTube or twitter taken away forever?

Fizzah: Ha! Take away either dude. I will access it anyway ;) I do use both but since there are many alternatives to Youtube so I’d choose not to give away Twitter.

Sadaf: Twitter is annoying because I have to squint to read the tweets and the word limit is too less. Take it away. I don’t need it!

Would you rather give up using makeup brushes or mascara?

Fizzah: Mascara. I can’t do anything without my tools.

Sadaf: I would bid adieu to my mascara because my lashes are totally fine without it but I would probably break down on the spot if someone tried to take my brushes away.

Time to tag a few of our blogger friends. Do check their blogs.

1.   1. Wajiha Shakeel Ahmed of The Fashion Files by Wajiha

2. Jadirah Sarmad of Jasmine Catches Butterflies

3. Hira Tabassum of The Sisters Go Shopping

4. Sorath Majid of Fashionista

5. Shinaaya Naya of Intensify Beauty Blog

Love,

Fizzah and Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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Sleek MakeUp Blush in “Rose Gold” and “Pomegranate” – Review and Swatches

Hi pretty ladies! You must have noticed one after another blush post recently on our blog that’s because we have a fair blush collection. We have always been a huge fan of blushes especially when it comes to packaging, colour and texture. Did Sleek MakeUp blushes sustain our scrutiny in every aspect?

Product Claims

Sleek MakeUp Blushers are long lasting and highly pigmented available in a variety of finishes. Each shade glides on smoothly and enables you to create an array of stunning looks. Sleek MakeUp offer a wide range of shades to complement any skin tone, no matter the occasion.

Use a blusher brush or slanted contour brush to gently sweep blush across the apples of your cheeks, building up the colour to your desired finish.

What Do I Think?

The packaging of these blushes live up to the name “Sleek” very well: smooth, silky and feels high end, and they come with a built-in mirror too making it extremely travel-friendly. Talking about the texture of both these blushes, it is soft, smooth and blends very easily with any blush brush. Moreover, the shimmer is finely milled hence there is no fall out. One thing I have noticed about these blushes in particular as compared to the others I have used till date is that brush doesn’t pick up extra product which otherwise you would have to tap off before applying to your face hence there is less to no product wastage and more control over application. Regardless of this fact, they are buildable and stay for good 5 – 6 hours over primer and foundation with minimal fading.

Pomegranate

This is a deep berry blush with strong red undertones and very fine shimmer similar to its base colour. Its colour matches our natural flush therefore it will flatter most of skin tones. Since I have a medium skin tone (NC 25-30) and it does show up on me even if I apply it lightly therefore I like to sculpt my cheek bones with it instead of applying it on the apples, gives my face natural warmth.

Rose Gold

This blush has a neutral pink base colour and very fine and noticeable gold shimmer. Yes you read it right. I too had the idea of it being a warm blush, which it definitely is, but the base colour is not warm on its own. This is actually very genius of Sleek MakepUp; they combined a neutral colour with lots of gold shimmer to balance out the overall warmth. And because of very prominent shimmer it highlights as well. It will flatter medium to light skin tones as the neutral base colour may not show up on darker skin tones leaving its use as a highlighter only for them. Also, I wouldn’t recommend you wearing this blush without a primer if you have large pores as it may accentuate them due to obvious shimmer.

Price

$6.99 for 8g

Availability

You can buy them online from Sleek Makeup website, or Just4girls.pk (for Pakistan)

Pros

Super pigmented

Beautiful texture and colour range

No fallout

Blendable and buildable

Long lasting

Super fine shimmer

Highlight effect (Rose Gold)

Cons

Shimmer (if you prefer matte blushes)

Rose Gold may accentuate large pores

My Rating

4.5/5

Have you tried any of the Sleek Blushers?

Love,

Fizzah and Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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Sigma Brow Expert Kit – Review

Blogging does require one’s time, energy and passion and putting together a perfect post for readers to enjoy exhausts us at times but then there are a few perks that come along with blogging, free goodies!

Yes, you definitely know by now that our blog is now a Sigma Affiliate! So here I am sharing the welcome gift we received as a token of appreciation from Sigma to join their affiliate program.

The package came nicely packed and contained a hand-written note, Sigma Brow Expert Kit and a Mini E55 Brush. Read on and I share with you the trick I have been using with my brows to get the perfect arch.

E55 – Eye Shading Brush

E55 - Eye Shading Brush has a broad somewhat square shape with rounded edges which is great to apply colour on your lid as it can cover a large area quickly. The bristles are really soft and blend the colour really well; they do not feel harsh at all against the skin.

Price: $14.00

Sigma Brow Expert Kit – Medium

The packaging of all the items contained in Sigma Brow Expert Kit is sturdy, well made and travel-friendly. The brow kit contains everything that anyone could need to have perfectly tamed brows:

E75 - Angled Brow & E80 Brow & Lash dual-ended brush

The double-ended brow brush is easy to use and carry along with you in your purse. The bristles of E75 are soft and pick up the product really well. The E80’s bristles are a bit harder than I had expected but works great to shape the brows.

Expert Trim and Expert Tweeze

Expert Trim and Tweeze have a nice hold even on small stray hair and can be used to trim and pluck smallest of hair as well. I have seen and used tweezers which completely fail to pluck any hair at all, these tools aren’t like any of those.

·         Brow Powder Duo – Medium

The brow powder duo gives you the option either to incorporate both these colours at the same time to get the most natural looking eyebrows or just use the darker/lighter shade as you like. The powders are much pigmented; formula is very smooth and easy to work with. I use the lighter shade at the beginning of my brows and the darker shade to shape them perfectly and fill in the arch. Then brush them with the spoolie, apply wax and brush them again. I wouldn’t use brow powder after applying wax on as it becomes more difficult to blend with your hair.

·         Brow Highlight Duo – Bring To Light

The highlighter duo comes with two finishes, one is matte the other is shimmery which makes it perfect for highlighting brow bone, inner corners or lower lash line. The formula of both the powders is buttery soft, much pigmented, blends easily and does not feel chalky at all.

·        Brow Wax

Now this is something I was excited about, the finish you get after filling your brows and taming them with Brow Wax is super natural and amazing. The formula is light weight and doesn’t make the hair sticky or clumpy. I noticed the cap doesn’t hold on to the pencil no matter how hard I try, so I would say do not just throw this product inside your purse. Find a proper way to travel with it or just keep it inside the kit to carry along.

·        Sharpener

The sharpener included in the kit is supposed to be used for big pencils like the Wax pencil in the box so you won’t be able to sharp smaller pencils with it.

I didn’t have a proper brow kit before Sigma sent me one, I used to fill in my brows with a matte dark brown shadow from my eye shadows palette but that was too dark for my choice. This one’s just perfect; I am pleased that I got the kit with Brow Powder Duo in Medium shade which is just the right match for me. What to say more! Now I am obsessed with keeping my brows shaped and flawless all the time.

Price

$49.00

My Rating

5/5

How do you groom your brows? Would you like to recommend me some other great brow products?

Love,

Fizzah

Note: This post contains affiliate link(s) for which I get a commission if you purchase through them. If you want to support me and my blog feel free to click on them.

PR sample(s) for consideration. This, however, has not affected our sincere opinions as our loyalty is to the readers. For further details, check our Blog Policy.

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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My Top 10 Tips For Preventing and Treating Acne

Picture Courtesy freedigitalphotos.net

Hello ladies! I remember how acne used to dominate my teen years and the horrible feeling I got every time I noticed a pimple as if I had sprouted horns on top of my head! As I grew up, I felt more confident and stopped displaying the “My life is over” reaction characteristic of a pimple sighting. I realized teens were really sensitive to the acne issues and even grown ladies tend to experience mini panic attacks over it. So, I decided to write you guys a post detailing what I have learnt about preventing and treating acne since my teen years to help arm you against our ancient nemesis!

1. Detox

Detoxify your body by taking a good amount of antioxidants daily which will neutralize the free radicals in your body and promote healthy skin. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great source along with green tea. Vitamin C is a superb antioxidant so if nothing else a glass of water with lemon juice squeezed in.

2. Don't Touch It

Acne in the form of cysts is a ticking time bomb that is going to spread the problem everywhere you touch so keep your hands away from the troubling spot and just use effective spot treatment to dry it up. Also if you are in a habit of touching your skin often then you need to curb this urge because our hands are covered with invisible dust and germs that will infect your pores if you keep putting your hands all over your face.

3. Don't Squeeze

This is a really bad idea because the pressure you exert on the muscle underneath can damage the cells and result in scars long after the acne has cleared up. Plus, it’s painful!

4. Scrub Away

When you notice your skin looking dull and feeling flaky it’s mainly because of the dead skin cells that accumulate over the surface and must be cleared up for your actual skin to be revealed. Exfoliating once a week is quite effective for me and you should always pick a scrub that matches your skin type. There are also facial foams and gel with ingredients like salicylic acid that remove dead skin cells but I have found them to be too harsh and drying for my skin so I would suggest you test them out before buying.

5. Change Your Pillowcase Every Few Weeks

I know this may sound odd but your face comes into contact with your pillowcase too frequently for you to ignore it. The dust and oil that may have gathered on the fabric’s surface overtime can cause breakouts so do remember to change it every few days.   

6. Avoid Using Oil-control Products Too Often

The sebaceous glands of your skin naturally produce oil to prevent moisture loss and keep your skin hydrated. If you use too many oil-control products on a regular basis your glands will feel a great drop in the oil level and produce even more oil to make up for the loss. Be careful and find a balance even if you have oily skin. It’s a good idea to use such products only on your T-zone if you have combination skin to prevent the rest of your face from drying up.

7. Use A Clay Mask

Masks especially those which have natural ingredients are very good at removing oil, toxins and impurities from your skin. These are basically the things that encourage acne so use a mask regularly for that extra bit of help.

8. Use Oil Free Makeup

Even if you have dry skin it is better to use oil-free make up particularly foundation because your skin already produces the perfect amount of oil on a daily basis and any extra oil will definitely clog your pores leading to acne.

9. Know Your Allergies

A lot of us may not be aware of the allergies we have and constantly ask ourselves why am I breaking out? You should know exactly what your skin is sensitive towards so that you avoid it like the plague! Food allergies may manifest themselves in the form of acne too so if your doctor has told you not to eat something, be good and stay far away from it.

10. Never Sleep With Your Makeup On

This is one of the cardinal sins of skincare which I am sure we all have been guilty of at least once. Make up, no matter how high end, is not something you leave on your skin for longer than necessary because these are not natural chemicals. They will damage your skin and cause it to age earlier if you are not careful. A major reason for breakouts is bad quality make up coupled with improper removal.

So there you have it some wisdom collected over the years along with some lessons learnt the hard way. Don’t forget to smile to keep the good hormones flowing for a radiant complexion!

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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Oriflame Pure Nature Organic Tea Tree & Rosemary Purifying Wash & Tone Gel - Review

Hey girls! Today I will be addressing a distressing skin care problem that we have all faced at some point especially sensitive and oily skinned ladies. I have sensitive skin that tends to break out easily due to a number of different factors which I am sure are not the same for everyone. I always stress on the use of products which contain natural remedies for acne so I decided to try out the Oriflame Pure Nature Organic Tea Tree & Rosemary Purifying Wash & Tone Gel. Read on to find out how it worked out for my skin along with some tips I recommend for acne prevention and treatment.

Product Claims

2-in-1 gel with pure organic tea tree and rosemary oil. It lathers to gently remove impurities and excess sebum, while naturally helping to clear blemishes.

What Do I Think?

The bottle comes with a screw top and an inner lid pierced with a small hole for dispensing the product. I find this design useful because I always regret wasting a cleanser when I turn the bottle upside down and it all comes oozing out. The actual product is a clear pale blue-green gel that lathers up pretty nicely so you only need a small amount for your entire face. The consistency is thin but that is not a problem because the packaging only lets out a little product at a time. I was surprised that it gave such a soothing sensation on coming into contact with my skin. I have even used it for my inflamed skin after threading my upper lip for its soothing properties. I could feel it cleaning away the oil and impurities properly but it did not feel harsh at all. On patting my face dry after rinsing my face I was very pleased to discover that it did not over dry my skin at all. My skin felt fresh and clean with the moisture nicely balanced. This product contains tea tree oil which is known to be a very powerful anti-acne agent because of its antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Rosemary oil is another ingredient present which reduces the inflammation of the skin caused by breakouts to help heal your skin.

I have definitely noticed how these active ingredients help dry up pimples, impede their development and finish them off before they have even matured. I never rely on just one product to treat breakouts but I have tried this gel as a spot treatment too and it works really well that way. It has no side effects and works really well for my combination skin so I am now on my second bottle. I have tested this product on my family members who have normal and oily skin so I can safely say that it is suitable for all skin types. You might think that it is overpriced with regards to the volume you get for the price but I assure you it will last you a long time even if you use it twice daily. I have found this to be a great face wash for every season. I would strongly recommend this to everyone who wants a product that constantly fights acne and helps keep the skin blemish free with its healing powers.

Price

PKR 649 for 150 mL

Availability

I bought it from online from Just4girls.pk. You may purchase it through Oriflame consultants as well.

Pros

Helps control acne

Can be used as a spot treatment

Doesn’t dry the skin

Suitable for all skin types

Suitable for all seasons

Cleanses thoroughly

Can be used as often as desired

Cons

None

My Rating

5/5

How do you treat your acne? Have you tried this face wash yet?

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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