Garnier Pure Active Neem Face Wash Reviewed!

It's been taking me a while to get around to posting on this blog recently and I really don't like it. I'm going to try and post every week starting now and hopefully stick to that schedule because I love writing these posts. Quite a few weeks ago, while I was in India, Garnier Pure Active sent me a lovely package with their new neem face wash. If you follow me on Instagram you probably know how long it's been since I received the package (why do I delay these posts? ).

Packaging: It comes in a pretty standard tube and the only part that really annoys me with many tubes is the twisty cap which comes off completely. I read that many people have tubes with the twisty cap but mine wasn't so I'm happy. I prefer these flip-top tubes since they're convenient and you don't have to struggle with trying to hold the cap and not misplace it. Since I've left the actual tube back in India I had to turn to google images for some help. (See how the google image has a twisty cap and a different design on the packaging? They must have repackaged these!). I do really like the look of the tube though. It's simple, clean and neat.

Texture: It's a clear gel-like texture but too runny to really be classified as a gel I think. It has a lime green color and I'm not sure what I think about that. Some days I love it because it's bright and fresh but on some others it reminds me of those disgusting snot-like slime things little kids play with. I guess it just depends on your mood. It foams up pretty well and smells really good. I can't describe the smell exactly but it has hints of neem and something fruity in it.

Results: You don't need a lot of this product since it foams up and spreads very evenly on the skin. Once you wash it off, it leaves your skin feeling really soft and moisturized. Garnier claims that it fights bacteria, fights pollution and removes oil. My skin definitely feels cleaner after using it and I've seen neem products work very well on most people with acne-prone skin. However, neem products seem to hate me and give me more breakouts. I was hoping that this one would be different and to a certain extent it was. I just loved the smell and the fresh/clean feeling after using it so much that I hoped it would be good for my skin. It took a few weeks to start giving me breakouts which is a good sign because it means the face wash wouldn't be harsh on someone else's skin (someone whose skin doesn't react to neem in a bad way).

I believe it costs INR75 for a 100ml tube which is extremely affordable so you should give it a whirl if you have acne-prone skin. If this one doesn't do it for you, I recommend the Garnier Pure Active Daily Scrub with Salicylic Acid. That face wash has my absolute favorite for years now and even though it's marketed as a blackhead scrub it works amazingly well on acne.

Extras: That Garnier pen and notebook came in so handy especially since we were making notes, reminders and lists while planning events. Thank you for those Garnier if you're reading this! However, may I suggest changing the graphics on the notebook? The animated pimple-covered faces made me cringe and not want to use it so I tore out those pages while using the notebook.

I hope you guys found this post helpful. If you've used this product before or plan on trying it out, I would love to know more in the comments below. You can also head on over to twitter where you can follow me at @Thesecretlife_T and Garnier at @PureActiveIndia . Tweet us with your opinions about this product in particular or anything else from the range!

Tanaya <3

Review: Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm in Peach

You can also check this post out on Real Beauty Spot where it was originally published.

One of my absolute beauty must-haves is the Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm in Guava so it isn’t surprising that I was very excited to try the new Peach Lip Balm.

Packaging: It’s changed! I think this new packaging is slightly thinner but it may just be an illusion because there’s barely any difference in shape. The new packaging looks more mature and mainstream when compared to the old one but I don’t mind it. On the inside the tube is still the same. A convenient twist-up style tube that twists smoothly. The outside may not look nearly as cute and quirky as the older one but the practicality is still just as good.

Pigmentation, Texture, Finish: The texture feels exactly the same as my Guava Lip Balm when swatched on the hand. It’s very smooth and buttery. However, it’s a whole different story when applied on the lips. This Peach version has a weird tacky feeling to it. I can’t even keep it on my lips for over 2 minutes without getting irritated by it. In terms of pigmentation, it has none. It looks like a lovely peach with tiny shimmer particles in the tube. I expected a sheer peachy color but it just comes off as a clear balm. There’s no color and even the finish looks like a cheap lip balm. It’s glossy but doesn’t give the ‘my lips but better’ look.

Lasting Power: With the terrible texture and finish, I wasn’t even able to keep this lip balm on enough to find out how long it lasts. It can easily last upto an hour or so as long as you don’t eat much.

In conclusion, I’m very disappointed in this product. That obviously isn’t my opinion about the whole Fruity Shine range because I still adore the Guava Lip Balm and cannot spend a day without it. I do not recommend spending your money on this Peach version but do give the Guava version a whirl (psst…it’s amazing!). 

Since I've been doing a lot of posts about Indian products I thought a Must-Have Products on the Indian Beauty Market would be fun to write and read. Would you guys like to read a post like that? Let me know in the comments and I'll do one soon!

Tanaya <3