Carol's Daughter Marula Oil

There was a time I hated using hair oils or any hair products in general because I thought they were all sticky, greasy and would make my hair clump up into hard bits. It wasn't a completely irrational belief since many products that I had tried back then really did have that effect. Years later and several haircare products wiser, I can't imagine what life would be like without them. I've been a fan of a few haircut products from Boots, LaBella and Dove for a while which made me open up to trying more products. Recently I was sent a set of products from Carol's Daughter and I've only tried their Marula Oil so far. It's a part of their Curl therapy range and even though I only have wavy hair with slight curls, this range seems to be working great with it.

Ingredients: I don't really have much to say about the ingredients except that the product is free of silicones, paragons, mineral oils and artificial colors which means i works great with colored hair. At a glance, the ingredients seem to be natural or nature-derived and just generally good for your hair.

Packaging: I love it! The pump dispenser works smoothly and conveniently. The label's are an adorable shade of baby pink mixed with pale marsala (yay for staying in the pantone color of the year theme!) and the font is super cute too! The bottle is small and plastic so it's great to travel with. 

Consistency,Texture, Smell: The oil itself isn't runny. It looks like it has a yellow tint in the bottle but it's clear on your hand. I isn't stickily at all and feels smooth and heavenly to touch. It smells slightly fruity, floral and the only strange word that comes to my mind when I smell it is "vintage". 

Application: I use about 2-3 drops of this oil per application. Pump a few drops out into your hands and spread it through the hair. Be careful not to oversaturate the hair with the oil since a little goes a VERY long way with this product. 

The Marula oil instantly makes my hair calm and glossy (noticeably glossy). I use it only once after every wash and almost never need to reapply it. This product started in a box of products I wasn't sure about even trying and has quickly made it's way into an essential that my hair just doesn't feel right without. Ever since I tried this product, I have stopped using all my other hair serums, oils, creams, sprays etc. I highly recommend this oil for all types of hair even though it only specifies "curls".

Availability and Price: The price differs from store to store and website to website.

Ulta (Available in USA)

Amazon (available everywhere.)

It's easy to obtain the product online if you're located in India or UK. 

Tanaya <3

*This is a pr sample provided for consideration of review. The opinions in this post are unbiased and honest.

My love affair with Tea Tree Oil! (Apothecary Extracts)

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I have been a fan of Tea Tree oil for a few years now and The body shop makes some of my favorite Tea Tree Products. However, I find their bottle of Pure Tea Tree oil really tiny and I decided to try this giant bottle that was sent to me by Apothecary Extracts. Here's a list of how I use my Tea Tree oil and these can serve as ideas for you! I have combination skin which can get dry in some patches at times but is mostly quite oily. The excess oil produced by my skin and sometimes even the mattifying makeup I use results in breakouts occasionally. I found that Tea Tree oil helps balance the sebum produced by my skin and makes it softer. It also helps fight the dark spots left behind by breakouts.

In a Face Mask: I have a favorite Tea Tree Mud Mask (I forgot which brand it is but I'm sure many brands probably make this) that I use regularly. since this mask can get quite dry in the pot, I take the quantity I require for one application and add a few drops each of water and tea tree oil to liquefy it a bit. I apply a smooth layer all over my face and then go over particular problem areas with a little extra. Wait till the mask completely dries so the tea tree oil has had time to absorb into your skin and then wash it off!

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In a night cream: I used to mix a few drops of tea tree oil in my favorite night cream (it was a toning cream with cloves) and apply it every night before I go to bed. It's the perfect amount of hydration and smells divine! However, since I'm testing out a new night cream for an upcoming review, I haven't done this in a while.

By itself: Dilute a few drops of tea tree oil in coconut oil and apply it in spots with a Q-tip on blemishes and breakouts.

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While I do like the Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree oil, I didn't quite see results as powerful as I do with the one from the body shop. However, this might just be because the body shop probably adds other ingredients in their oil and this one is 100% pure. I recommend this bottle if you're trying out tea tree oil in a face mask or night cream but not by itself.

Do you use Tea Tree Oil or have you used it in the past? I want to know all about your experience so share with me in the comments below! 

Tanaya

*Sample sent for review. All opinions expressed in this article are honest and unbiased.

Illamasqua Eyeliner Review

I recently ran out of my usual MAC Gel Eyeliner and I'm glad I did because it finally forced me to try the new Illamasqua one I had been refusing to open for a while. This one's in the shade Infinity and it's the blackest black gel eyeliner I've yet tried! It applies pretty well but I need to get myself a better brush since I lost the last one I had. A good eyeliner brush can make all the difference.

Texture: No surprises here. It's a gel. It's very soft but still has the right amount of firmness to be applied without running. It leans on the dry side which means it dries quickly on the lid and barely smudges compared to all the other gel eyeliners I've tried so far. Gel liners are never as smudge-proof as liquid ones but so much easier to apply so I tend to pick gel over liquid for more elaborate looks.
Removal: It my look dark and smudge-proof but it comes off pretty easily with makeup remover. I've used the neutrogena makeup removing wipes as well as my The Body Shop Camomile makeup remover and they both work well.
Below I've added 2 images. One is in B/W to highlight the eyeliner since I wore a very thin, barely-there line for a natural look. The other is in normal light so that you can see the effect it has.

Illamasqua Gel Liner (Infinity), Brushed through brows, no eyeshadow, no concealer.

I've also begun using the Illamasqua Shadow in Jules for defining my brows but I'll do a detailed review for that in another post.
Cost: £18.50/$28.06/INR1724.50 on the official website. It can possibly be found for less on another website and on sale in different countries. To be honest, I find that quite expensive but with a brand like Illamasqua I wouldn't expect any less. I've wanted to try a product from their collections for so many years now considering they're so well-known and well-love in the makeup-world but their price-tags are what kept me from trying their products for so long.

Final Verdict: If you use eyeliner everyday and it's the one product you would like to invest in, go for it! However, if you would rather spend on something else (like their highlighters which are next on my wish list) then skip it and opt for a drugstore brand instead.

I hope this review helped you pick your next eyeliner or introduced you to the wonderful line of Illamasqua! Let me know what you think in the comments below. Have you tried this product before?


Tanaya <3

*Product gifted by Illamasqua for review. The opinions expressed in this post are honest, unbiased and entirely my own.