March Favourites

Before I get into part two and three of my hauls, I thought I'd let you know a few things that I've tried out last month and absolutely loved.

Anatomicals UK Face Masks:

As someone who's got super-sensitive skin, I usually wind up unable to use most of the skincare products on the market. Even things like face masks are fraught with pit - or do I mean, zit - falls. I can't even use the highly hyped Glam Glow ones without breaking out! However, these masks work like a dream. They leave my skin looking fresh and glowy. There are no breakouts at all. And they're really quite affordable. It costs Rs 175 per sachet, but you get two uses out of one sachet. 

If you like puns, you'll love the names of the different kinds of masks. My faves are the 'Grease isn't the word' and the 'You've got chocolate on your face'. The chocolate one smells exactly like chocolate cake batter! They're available at Health & Glow stores.

Forever 21 Hair Brush:

I bought it cos it was rose gold and cheap. (Rs 299 or 399, I think) But after using it for approximately a month, I have to say, I really do like it. The bristles are long enough that you feel your scalp being massaged when you brush your hair. (And good circulation is vital for hair growth) They're flexible enough that they don't yank your hair out when they meet with a snarl or a knot. 

Plus the brush has vents, that means you can use it while blowdrying your hair - if you're so inclined. (I usually never blow-dry my hair myself, so unfortunately I can't give you my opinion on that.) I genuinely feel that my hair has been in better condition since using this brush. I do wish we could get brushes like this with natural bristles, but I guess that those would cost the earth. (The Mason Pearson natural bristle ones cost upwards of Rs1400!) For artificial bristles, this is my recommendation.

Nyassa Handmade Soap:

Okay, so this isn't something that I discovered last month, I've been obsessed with these soaps for quite a while now. I love the way they smell! It's nothing over-powering, but they smell amazing. I stock them in my clothes drawers just for the scent. I've gone through three already, am on my fourth, and this is the fifth one. And you can bet I'll be buying some more when this is finished.

As you can see, they're against animal testing - always good - and they're one hundred percent vegetarian - also great. In fact the only bad thing about them is their price.

Rs 300 is not cheap for something that is literally going down the drain. However if you like your showers to feel luxurious and beautifully scented, these soaps are for you.

Prickly Heat Powder:

Okay, so this is not the most exciting thing to list in a Favourites selection. However, I must rave about this, given our ridiculous weather at the moment. I'd asked my local chemist (like we all do) for something that I could use to prevent prickly heat in the summer weather. They recommended this - and I must say, I'm impressed. I've been using this at night on my neck, and when I wake up in the morning, I have little to no irritation whatsoever. I can even wear necklaces if I put on the powder beforehand. And given that I usually stop wearing necklaces in February when I'm in Mumbai, that's a biggie.

This claims to be an anti-fungal and anti-perspirant too. But I've not used it for either such thing. Although, given that prickly heat rashes are usually caused by the skin's reaction to sweat, I guess we could say that it does work as an anti-perspirant. It's not too expensive - Rs 108. So if you're a sufferer in this weather, a bottle would be quite handy.

Lifesum:

I'm not really an app person. I don't use my phone for much beyond calls, messages and surfing the net when I'm bored. And I'm especially not a 'recommended by such and such YouTuber' when they're being sponsored by the brand.

However I was pleasantly taken aback by this app. It's a calorie counting app, which helps you track how many calories you consume and how healthy your meals are. Depending on what you weigh and what you want to weigh (You're asked to input all this data on the first use) you're allotted a certain amount of calories a day. And when you input your meals, it shows you how many calories you have left. 

It also offers recipes, and you can even take a test to see what kind of diet would be best for you. What I really love about this, is that even though there's a paid version, you get most of the features in the free version. And that, you have to admit, is rare with any kind of app these days.

You can even track how much water you drink during the day. (Hint: 2 litres is what you should be aiming for) If you're looking to get into shape for summer vacation or for the new academic year in June, I'd say give this a go. It's quite helpful. I've been eating far more mindfully since I downloaded it. (It's available on both the App store and Play. I use it on an iPhone, but it's the same on an Android.)

And that's a few of the things I've tried and really loved in March. I'll be back to hauls on Monday.

Till next time,

MumbaiGirl.

IG: @maryannecp