When DIY is plain stupid.....

I do lot of DIY,....in fact there are so many things which i do at home and therefore blog about those which work well for a long time too. So me saying that DIY could be nonsensical is a little oxymoron !

So, here's what i think :

1. Don't trust all the bloggers and their recipes: Why ? Because some people try them from someone elses' recipes and get excited after 2-3 times use ,blog about it in superlative terms and then abandon it  !So the cycle continues !
  Internet is littered with a lot of people blogging about poorly thought out and useless DIYs ! E.g Baking soda for hair wash and to wash dishes as well - not as and when required but daily use!
 Trust recipes which people having been using for years and ALWAYS make a little ,use it for months before raving about it!One man's honey is another's poison !

2. If DIY is an expensive replacement:
     Why would you want to go buy raw materials and then combine to make a mediocre product. DIY is usually about saving money, having the pleasure of making a product which you like and which performs great too.
For e.g: Making a scrub soap with oats and soap which you have at home is a great idea.But if you don't eat quick cooking oats but you go and buy 200g pack [ near my house usually available in 400gm and 1kg packs ] oats to make a scrub soap then isn't it stupid ?
 The same thing applies to herbs: Herbs work well when they are fresh !For e.g:Though ritha and shikakai whole pods keep well when stored properly, but if you are the kind of person who has rushed mornings and wants to only laze in weekends or forgets to use them or whatever , there is no point in investing in them if you not going to use them regularly. The last time i bought ritha 6 months ago it cost me, 80 rs for half kilo and i use them regularly.
 Let's face it: Its much work and planning and cleaning the bath room afterwards ! Though i am used to the drill, on lazy or tiring days i use shampoo happily.
    And i usually buy only Reetha these days not even shikakai or other hair care herbs - I am using up shikakai which i bought 4 years ago and i have 25- 30gm of nagarmotha and jaswand lying around which i use only with egg hair pack  which is rare in itself !
    If you are going to use besan face pack once a month- there is no point in collecting skin care herbs just because recipe calls for it. Besan and milk work fine in itself ! Ayurveda is not cheap anymore.25gms of good quality packed herbs,if you atleast use 3 of them for face pack will cost you double of what brands like Lotus and Himalayas sell the whole tube of face mask or pack.To give fancy feel, you'll atleast need 3-4 herbs plus besan/multani mitti.
     So, if you are one of those people who use a DIY only once or twice a month , then i think buying the readymade tubes from good brands makes more sense !
     I have been buying only rose water- rest of the herbs i use which i had bought years ago and i still haven't finished them !I use face packs only 4-5 times a week that too if i make it a point to use.
     If you don't suffer from soap/SLS or commercial shower gels allergy or don't have issues like eczema then there is no real need to invest so much time and energy in herbs/powder ubtans especially if you are assembling them on your own !
    I use reetha/ soapnuts as hairwash /bodywash/facewash [especially in summers] when i make the liquid twice a week. So the effort vs advantages works quite well for me.Spent /used reetha works as fertilizer/bulking agent for my potted plants too.
    The feel of hair with reetha in any form is NOT same as using a shampoo so that requires getting used to. So think before trying out any DIYs especially for skin and hair care.

3. If DIY doesn't have shelf life:
     I do sewing,make chutneys,pickles, masalas ,pasta and pizza sauces because i have learnt things in details and also these things have shelf lives. My mom had a sewing machine - the traditional table one- i oiled and took care of it,learnt to use it and now i sew on it. It was free of cost- all i had to do is learn sewing from mom and actually Sew !
     I usually buy whole khada spices- so making all masalas on the go and as required comes easy to me...
I make preserved lemons, amla murraba because they stay well and are easy to make !
  So if your DIY doesn't have reasonable shelf life, it is less of headache to buy ready made especially if consumption vs effort vs time required to make it is not proportional !
   In contrast, i never make namkeen at home except puris for sev puri [ My mom started tradition of making pani puri details at home- we bought puffed puris from outside though].
Deep fried snacks are to be eaten only once in a while anyways.So,i don't bother making them at home anymore and also its only me and dad at home!We buy from reputable shops for ourselves and guests. That way, our consumption remains less and under control !

   What do you think about this?

George Carlin

Amongst some of wise people i have heard and read about, George Carlin is my favourite! If I’m in mood for some philosophy, i watch his stand up acts. He's sarcastic,blunt and uses too many english gaalies which sometimes distract me.

Here are the links to my favourites:

Arrogance of mankind

Stuff

Enjoy !

Foundation

While i believe shopping for right foundation is absolutely important, Indian [ and imported companies] absolutely, positively make it difficult and a useless expedition.
I personally am still fact finding, yearning and i still go bare faced to malls now and then in hope to find the right foundation.

Here's what i think is making 'foundation buying' a hopeless and tedious and frustrating task in India.

1.Untrained staff: At the department stores, those poor salesgirls themselves are made up so badly and sometimes so thickly made up that the thought of taking her advice on ANYTHING is already counter productive ! I would advise people to IGNORE their advice especially when it comes to foundation.We live in a culture where 'fair is beautiful'- believe me no matter how ignorant you are when it comes to foundation a wrong shade match is like signing a suicide pact and whenever you'll wear it - you 'll look WEIRD, BIZARRE and TERRIFYING.
       Please don't buy a foundation shade listening to online advice or by any advice !Go to the shop and apply it on bare face ,come back home and see how it fares on your skin - in daylight ,night and indoors !

2. No samples: We buy so much make up in India ! There is no return policy - that means you can't return a wrong foundation !And the imported prices for drugstore brands abroad are nowadays sold in India with at least 15 to 25% higher markups. The least companies can do is give 'samples' at their department counters.
I have never received a sample of anything at the department store. Sure there are freebie offers...but everybody knows in india the freebie offer is either junk or even non existent per se. Buy 1 get 1 free- chances are you are already paying for both !
          I am even open to buying samples of foundation to try  before I commit to it! Till the companies, don't give/sell foundation samples in india, I won't be buying a costly foundation at all !

3.Limited shades: Do all of us Indians fall in ivory, beige, or toast shades? What about light, medium and dark Toast ?
Or do companies think that since majority of Indians don't use foundation and those who do use are ok going out of their houses- ghostly,cakey and 'whitened' that we don't need more complementary and wider range of shades to choose from ??
     I mean you conglomerates have the know-how - Then why not make flattering and complementary shades for Indians or Indian type skin tones !

Personally, I use foundation as tinted moisturiser. I have dark circles - the bluish ones and i don't know where to get Correctors/concealors for it . I have heard Kryolan can help. But since a counter is not in my city....... i chug along without a concealor.
Concealors are non existent for dark bluish under eyes circles and for Indians in general. Most of the ones touted on makeup blogs are simply inappropriate for severe dark circles- so don't waste your money on it. We require correctors to camouflage dark undereye circles.For undereye concealors, i have tried even MAC which proved useless for me!

And no, i don't use foundation to hide undereye circles !
All in all, i have really sobered up when it comes to foundation hunting ...anything new hardly excites me these days and right now i use Panstik and revlon Colorstay in combination to get right shade match and coverage.

Am not happy but what to do ?

Henna henna...

i have always loved the khushboo [aroma] of mehndi. My mom is also an influence here..she loved putting mehndi on her hands and then in her 30 + years on her mane. Her enthusiasm rubbed off on me and i used to put henna on my hair whenever she used to prepare the mix during my college years. Then the frequency reduced to 1-2 times per year only in summers.
   

     Let's face it: applying henna is too much work ! Mix the mehndi overnight, next day apply it and then keep it on for atleast 3-4 hours.And then on white hair the best you'll probably get is orange color.In her 50s my mom usually sported dark brown orangish head.Well, she had tried coffee powder, iron vessel and everything else under sun to get a dark brown head of hair.
In conclusion, getting henna to go black or brown DOESN'T WORK ! Atleast not without chemical help !. Well, that's what 'kali mehndis' are all about !
I personally, have accepted Henna's personality- Orange and reddish orange to red brown !
So after 4 years i applied henna to hair again. Just for the heck of it ! Because i like the aroma, and because it reminds me of Mom !And the orange color make me happy. I have sinusitis and allergic rhinitis which had kept me away from henna for so many years so since summer is here..i thought i'll take a chance.

As i have grown older, i have lost patience with things that take time.....so let's see if i can keep it on my head for than 3 hours.

For those who are interested here my way of mixing henna for hair:

1. Earlier i used use plain henna but this time i bought Nupur henna pack and added my herb mix of shikakai,amla,jatamansi. But plain henna works just fine and is cheaper to buy too. I think branding has made henna expensive ..its just the same stuff under different brands.All you need to check is shelf life....buy from henna wholesaler if you put henna regularly on hair !
2. I mix henna with tea water and lemon juice. Make thick paste and keep overnight.
3. Next day, just thin out the paste with 2 tbsp of curd or as required apply with gloved hands.
4. Take your time apply properly especially if you are looking to cover greys.I start on top of the head ,take a few strands,coat with henna and make a bun. Repeat and keep piling the bun till you finish all sections.

i know many people put eggs in their mix and its a good idea too because the smell of eggs gets diluted and conditioning effect is tripled.But since i can't bear egg smell in summers i avoid !

After washing hair with water,i usually use a cheap conditioner as a shampoo to get a cleaner feel but if you have applied henna on oiled hair i guess you could shampoo a bit !

Personally, i think henna dries hair and does not condition it. Use it for colour or for tinting hair...don't expect moon out of it ! If you want to condition hair apply eggs/curds with herbs like nagarmoth,jatamasi,brahmi or bringhraj or mix of these herbs.They relieve dandruff and actually improve quality of hair. Keep them for hour or so just like henna mix.

The Journey

In last two years, i went through a journey where my aim was to look superficially good,colorful and vain. I went from painting only lips to painting eyes,cheeks and face. From owning zero blushes to 3 and also added various lipsticks especially from hues of pink and red and a plum which i avoided earlier since i have dark pigmented lips and because i really have nowhere to wear a red lipstick to !
    Now i wear brighter lipstick even to a supermarket and banks !Earlier i used to care how people would percieve me , now not so much !
      Now my new stress buster is following and reading up 2-3 blogs which i find give honest opinions about make up and skincare products. I instantly readup before i buy if there is a review about it.
      When i started trailing make up blogs a year and half ago my expenditure increased....you know,....'this is a must have' 'this is superlative' and ' oh if you don't wear an aqua blue eyeliner you are definitely missing something" and 'sale at XYZ site'.
  Soon, I realised that on some blogs opinions expressed are vague, superficial and plain bland and orchestrated !. Its like 'everything is ok' and really their categories were 'ok' and 'superlative'. They seem to never ever encounter DUDS !And i used to wonder...hey i have used this product - 'its far substandard in performance both for the price and claims.'
     Eventually reality set in -   I don't really need that super expensive eyeshadow in yellow, parrot green and pink  because i can't really use it daily...infact i won't. Too many rushed mornings, too much work and too many disapproving looks at work and on public transportation!
So untill and unless you are an actress or model- you don't really need gazillion hued eyeshadow palettes. All does an average and above average working brown/ wheatish or fair skin Indian girl needs is a nude to brown eyeshadows and a couple shimmer colours for wedding and parties.
        Another thing i realized- 'hey, you still have to get out of that morning slumber,prepare breakfast, cook lunch and then eat breakfast in time and then get dressed and then comes make up....so ? I never really have the time to blend that stupid foundation which seems to set so fast, forget the prepping and moisturizing ! Oh boy,now i have to hunt for a new foundation which suits my skin colour and blends like a beauty in flat 2 minutes !
Stuff will expire just sitting in the cabinet and accumulating bacteria!

     
When Pond's TM died, i cursed Pond's people ! You see, i have never got a foundation [thanks to ALL salesgirls  and companies in India] which suits my skin to the T. Its not all the gazillion brands even exist in my city for me to try out !
Now i think a perfect foundation is a mirage- you know, the one which blends in 2 minutes,and gives good coverage and is pocket friendly ! Its really not there no matter what all the beauty blogging fraternity says ! Some may work for you not all !And then search begins all over again because companies go ahead and DISCONTINUE products !
        Right now, i do jugaad ! I mix my Panstik with moisturiser and it blends like a dream and i don't bother whether its longstaying or not etc etc.For summers, i have found Revlon's Colorstay for combination skin but i had to get it from Amrika and luckily my guess work paid off and its a perfect match for me. In India, for all makeup companies we fall into : Light/Ivory, Natural Beige , Golden Beige, Dark. That's it !
      My fascination for blushes - well did not exist ! Before now,I had 'blushed' only once or twice for weddings.That too with a lipstick! Now i 'blush' all the freaking time ! And i love it. I blush and blush and then blush some more ! You see, earlier , i had no idea how to apply a blush ! Now I do thanks to Lisa Elridge !
Lipsticks i use more as blush and i love using only one color on my face - on cheeks and lips and eyes. It just looks so much better and wearable,not to mention quick .
      I even use my Lakme Earth trio as eyeshadow - just any one color on eyes, cheeks and lips. For lips i apply plain lipgloss and then dab the powder. I am so much happier because i am going to probably use up all my blushes then just throwing them away !
For skin and hair care, i think beauty blogs could be used only as guidelines- more like introduction to new products in the market ! They are of no help at all since everyone's skin is different and really shampoos and conditioners performance is more dependent on the type of water [ hard,soft or medium] you get in your bathroom , your diet etc !
   I do experiment when i am itching to try new products but i never really deviate from my general rule of thumb: Face wash to only clean face, moisturiser to supply / preserve moisture and sunscreen - well my only criteria to buy suncreen are the suncreen agents used in the formulation,price and feel on the skin. I absolutely hate suncreens which make skin more oily- i am afraid many do ! I just dab powder on -what to do ?
   All in all, i do believe i have become more colorful....but then that's it. People and stuff around me has not changed, neither has my life and its challenges. Applying make up for me is still secondary - i find i am more interested in sewing,cooking and walking ! Nevertheless, when you are down and out and feeling blah....there is something about picking up that lipstick and painting the face. Literally. You can hide behind makeup as long as you want,whenever you want !
Its worth finding that foundation which hides everything with as little work as possible. And its worth finding that lipstick which makes you want to use it everyday no matter what and brightens up your mood.Even if you don't know how to do make up - you could learn. I did ! No, you don't have to follow makeup trends and you definitely don't need eyeliners or lipstick in rainbow colours but you need that one black kohl or dark brown eyeliner and that one lipstick to shine !
Believe me,it doesn't even have to be costly ...it just has to be what you like and love and want out of it !