Lipstick Masala

If you’ve been tuned into any news channel over the past couple of days, you’ve by now surely heard about the fierce snow storm that continues to pound the East Coast of the U.S. Snowmageddon 2009 not only brought with it mountains of ice but has also subjected us to bone-chilling cold temperatures and glacial winds. Yesterday, driven crazy with cabin fever, I strapped on my fur-lined boots and mittens and ventured outside on foot. When I returned, my face was stinging from the brutal weather conditions. Today, I am regretting yesterday’s little adventure as my cheeks are chapped dry and so red that I could pass for Santa Claus’s offspring.

Unfortunately, dry skin does not just make an appearance during a rare snowstorm or two. Many ladies have complained to me recently that the winter air has been causing the skin on their face to tighten up and flake and no lotion or cream seems to be working to restore that moisture. Here is my answer: 1) If you live in a country where you have central heating on all the time, make sure to use a humidifier when you sleep at night – trust me, you will see a difference in your skin within a few days. 2) Don’t overdo it with the rich creams. Exfoliate regularly (for more information click HERE) and remove the dead skin cells on your face. This will help your regular winter lotion/cream penetrate better. If you still feel like you need something a little extra, then go a little heavier, but I feel like most of those result in clogged pores. I prefer treating my face in addition to moisturizing, which brings us to number 3) There are a number of moisturizing masks you can use that will bring your skin relief, my favorite of which is the Oatmeal mask below. It’s fast, easy, and best of all, costs next to nothing. Read the rest of this entry »

Naomi Campbell once famously said she didn’t need plastic surgery because she had great genes, and well, “black don’t crack.” For many years, I mistakenly believed the same thing – i.e. that my darker skin tone and the fabulous skin of my mother and grandmothers would save me from crow’s feet. It was only recently that I began to see the folly of my ways. Sure genetics may play a big part in how I age, but my mother and grandmother did not lead my 21^st century life. They were not exposed to the same chemicals in their food, or the ever-diminishing ozone layer. They may have plucked, tweezed and primped, but they stuck to one product rather than the millions that are available today with God only knows what ingredients in them. And finally, they most certainly did not pull all nighters throughout college or go to clubs till 4 am and fall asleep with their makeup on.

Now, you may be reading this and rolling your eyes. I’m not going to lie, I used to think the same way. But, ladies, being brown is not the panacea to aging – it may slow down the process slightly, but in today’s world, you have to take whatever measures you can to prevent yourself from looking older than you are. If you believe leaving your eyeliner/mascara/foundation on when you go to sleep isn’t a big deal and that experts only insist on removing it to prevent acne or infections, you are making a big mistake. The chemicals in the products are drying and damaging, they don’t allow your skin to breathe, and they will, believe you me, cause premature wrinkling. If you want skin like your grandmother’s, then you need to keep it clean like she did, and the first step is investing in a good eye makeup remover.

“Why can’t I just use face wash to remove my mascara?” Well, first of all, many face washes have harsh ingredients that are not appropriate for the delicate skin around your eyes. Read the rest of this entry »

My poor eyes have withstood much torture in my lifetime. I have tugged at them while applying and removing makeup, rubbed them mercilessly on late nights studying or partying, and caused them to swell up countless times amidst tears for lost loves, arguments with friends and other trials and tribulations of my youth. A few years ago, this kind of abuse would have had little to no consequence – the morning after I would awake without a trace of what transpired the night before, I would be refreshed and revived. Now, I’m not so lucky. My skin does not bounce back the way it once did and I wear my fatigue or sorrow on my face like a red flag that screams, “Look at me, everyone!”

And I’m not alone. In the past few weeks I have been getting more and more requests to write on eye creams and solutions to wrinkling, dark circles and puffiness. After much research, I’ve come to a conclusion that many of you may not be too happy with – there is no one remedy to any of your under eye problems. The way we age around our eyes is a result of both genetics and our lifestyle. Therefore, any product used must be in conjunction with a change in the way you care for yourself, how much sleep you get, what you eat, etc. If you are a victim of your parents’ genes, then you will have to learn how to prevent as well as employ quick fixes to mask what you would like rather than to simply waste thousands of dollars on products that will not work. This is not always simple in the case of dark circles and wrinkles, but there are multiple ways to battle and conceal puffiness. Read the rest of this entry »

They say your experience with acne depends greatly on how your parents fared when they were your age. As a high schooler, I was blessed with fairly clear skin thanks to my mother’s genes. But then I hit my twenties, and my father’s bloodline kicked in full force. All of a sudden I was facing my quarter-life crisis while dealing with adolescent breakouts. At dinner parties, intrusive aunties would come up to me and exclaim, “Haiiiiii betaaaa, what has HAPPENED to your skin? Ohoooo. You better put on some *insert ludicrous desi home remedy here* and scrub.”

Aunties like these really believe it’s their duty in life to point out the obvious, as though we girls do not own mirrors and have no clue as to how tired we look, how much weight we’ve gained, and as in my case, how our skin has erupted. But, that is a story for another day. As much as I wanted to dunk these outspoken aunties into the nearest bowl of chicken karahi, I realized they did have a point. Exfoliating your skin really is the first step to good skincare. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com

When our skin starts acting up, our primal instinct is usually to run to the nearest department/drugstore and grab the first “miracle” product we can get our hands on. We use it for about a week and then move on to the next remedy. I’m guilty of the same thing myself – while spring cleaning my bathroom cupboard two days ago I threw away two economy sized trash bags bursting with almost full bottles of face wash, lotions and masks. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on useless products. It was only until a few years ago when I came across a remedy for rebellious skin that not only works but costs close to nothing – the Aspirin Mask.

Yes, aspirin. On your face. Aspirin is a BHA, or beta-hydroxy acid. BHA’s are used in most face washes and lotions that are created to prevent acne. Heard of salicylic acid? Yup, that’s a BHA. BHA’s are exfoliators that work by deeply cleaning your pores and helping prevent the formation of new spots on your face.

Aspirin masks are known to reduce redness and inflammation while brightening the complexion. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: amazon.com

The weather is changing and so is your skin. With the mixture of warm and cold air, the dry areas on your face are getting drier and the oily parts oilier. Try to avert extra shine or avoid tightness on your face by paying attention to how you apply your lotions/creams. Most of us just dab a little on our fingers and quickly smear the product all over – this way of lotion application is a big mistake! It results in dry patches, and worse, increased blackheads (especially on the nose area).

Tomorrow morning, apply lotion first to the driest areas of your face ending at the oily parts. In most cases this means the end point should be your T-zone (your forehead and nose), which is on average the problem area for women – but your skin may vary. By doing this, the most of what is on your hand will end up on the areas that need the lotion the most, leaving very little on your fingers for skimming over the oilier parts. You may feel you don’t even need to apply lotion to your t-zone. Trust us, you will start to see a difference very soon.