.png "Natasha Denona Blush palette")
October 2022 was probably the month where I finished the most products for the year. Its like, you start to use products simultaneously and then leave them after a while to move on to the next products. That left me with quite some products that were about to end. I finished all left over products during this month. So here is what I emptied in the month of October.
.png "October empties") |
| October empties |
1. Loreal Elvive total repair 5 repairing shampoo
This shampoo was originally purchased by my husband for himself. Like any other purchase, I ended up using the shampoo. Its a nice shampoo but with the use of 1 bottle solely, I can not claim that it repaired or improved my hair.
2. Palmer's natural fusion micellar rose water cleanser clarifying shampoo
I use clarifying shampoos once in a month. They help clean residue and build off from the scalp. Palmer's clarifying shampoo has been very gently on my hair compared to other clarifying shampoos I have used in the past. If I purchase a clarifying shampoo again, it will be by Palmer's.
3. Freecia professional permanent hair color cream
To cover my greys I now use hair dyes from Freecia. I have seen good results of their products. This hair dye was dark brown in color.
4. Freecia developer
Developer to mix with the hair dye.
5. Lakme collage hydrox
As I mentioned, most of the items this month were left overs. This hydrox was years old and I used it to color cut my hair. Unfortunately, it did nothing due to being expired or something.
6. Botanicals argan hair mask
I have used variants of this hair mask in the past. Used to love these and still do but they have become expensive over time. Argan really suits my hair and this one worked well to keep my hair smooth and soft to touch.
.png) |
| Empties October 2022 |
7. Skin truth pedicure foot and leg lotion
I hope you won't search my blog to find out how old this lotion is. Thing is, a lot of things were left unused post marriage as I moved to another house. But since, I live super close to my parents place, I was able to empty out my old stash. I used this lotion on my feet and finished it in a matter of a month. I love the peppermint fragrance Skin truth has used for its pedicure range. Its refreshing and opens up your senses.
8. Beauty Formulas Nail polish remover
Hands down to the best nail polish remover ever! This is the gentlest formula for nails that does the job with one swipe without damaging the nail and without leave a white residue. Unfortunately I can not seem to find it anywhere now. Otherwise I would have repurchased it.
9. St. Ives hydrate and glow cleanser
This cleanser was purchased on a whim because the bottle and cleanser looked very pleasing to my eyes. However it turned out to be my most used face cleanser in Summers. Its gentle on the skin, does a good job of removing eye makeup and does not make the skin dry.
10. Charm Natural bio-epitome face spray
A very hyped product by Charm Natural. I did not get to finish it completely as it turned bad before I could finish it. Being organic, it has a short shelf life. However the lavender fragrance was love to use in Summers after washing the face. I will not say that I observed results using this product. I will have to give it another go to decide if it lives upto the hype.
11. Repel Z mosquito repellent
I placed a query online to find a product that acts a natural mosquito repellent on my baby without any damage to his skin. Repel Z is what someone suggested. I bought it from Al-fatah. Its also available at Tayyib store. Its a good product that keep the mosquitoes away. Its organic, hence safe to use on babies.
12. Niacinamide serum tester
I was approached by a brand developing their own line of facial serums to test our niacinamide serum. I have turned the bottle the other way because it was a test batch and also the name of the brand isn't finalized yet. Much to my dismay, the product did not suit me and broke me out.
13. Sunblock tester
The same company also sent me their sunblock for testing. I loved, loved, loved the sunblock as it did not leave any cast on the face and had face priming properties and not only that, but it was completely matte. I don't know if the company will end up manufacturing the product under same formulations, but it was an amazing sunblock. Much better than a lot of expensive, branded ones I have used so far.
14. Serumind hand cream
You can read full review of this product by clicking on the link here.
.png "Baby items finished in Octover 2022") |
| Baby products empties in October 2022 |
15. Aveeno baby soothing hydration creamy wash
One thing I have come to realize is, creamy washes are not a good idea for babies. Why? They take ages to squeeze out of bottles and managing the baby during bath with a wash that takes so much time to apply is a turn off and mood spoiler. Creamy washes take time to lather and some of them don't lather well. It makes me anxious and I end up doing a quick, half done job at baby bath.
16. Johnsons top to toe baby wash
After the Johnsons powder fiasco, I had vowed not to use Johnsons but honestly Johnsons and Dove are the only two pocket friendly and practical baby brands in my opinion. This baby wash was a breeze to use. Convenient with its runny consistency and lathering properties, it was a ride.
17. Sudocrem
Lastly, savior for the baby - Sudocrem. I use it amply to avoid baby rashes. I have been questioned over using it at every diaper change but hey, its my choice. It prevents my baby from diaper rashes. Why will I not use it?
.png) |
| Sheet Masks |
18. Sheet masks
Tried on quite a few sheet masks in this month. There were 6 sheet masks that I used during the month but only got to photograph 5. Even though sheet masks are raved a lot, I find their effect to be short lived and for instant hydration boost only.
Hope you liked my empties posts. In case you have questions about any of the products, feel free to reach out to me. I'd be happy to revert to your queries. Stay health and beautiful. xoxo!!!
As enthusiastic as I was at the start of the year, unfortunately I could not hit my target of completing 10 books in 2022 as well. My read list is shrinking every year and this worries me. Here is a round up of the book I finished last year.
.png "My read books") |
| Books I finished reading in 2022 |
1. This thing of darkness
The fourth novel featuring Fiona Griffiths, crime fiction's most unusual police detective. A marine engineer who tumbles off a cliff path on a windy night. A burglary where everything taken was returned by the thief. The suicide of a man in love with life.
An accident, a mystery, an unexplained tragedy. And nothing at all to connect them. Until, that is, Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths, searching for something - anything - to take her mind off the tedious job of evidence-cataloguing she's been assigned to, starts to wonder if all three incidents are not quite what they seem. It could just be her imagination. After all, she'd be the first to admit that she isn't exactly in the prime of psychological health right now, the darkness she's held at bay ever since she joined the police force now lapping dangerously at her door.
But something tells her there are invisible threads linking the crimes, and as she investigates further, she starts to see the outlines of a conspiracy so unlikely and on such a vast scale, that it takes her breath away. And that's when they come for her.
.png "Harry Bingham, Fiona Griffiths") |
| This thing of darkness |
2. Before she sleeps
In modern, beautiful Green City, the capital of South West Asia, gender selection, war and disease have brought the ratio of men to women to alarmingly low levels. The government uses terror and technology to control its people, and women must take multiple husbands to have children as quickly as possible. Yet there are women who resist, women who live in an underground collective and refuse to be part of the system. Secretly protected by the highest echelons of power, they emerge only at night, to provide to the rich and elite of Green City a type of commodity that nobody can buy: intimacy without sex. As it turns out, not even the most influential men can shield them from discovery and the dangers of ruthless punishment. This dystopian novel from one of Pakistan’s most talented writers is a modern-day parable, The Handmaid’s Tale about women’s lives in repressive Muslim countries everywhere. It takes the patriarchal practices of female seclusion and veiling, gender selection, and control over women’s bodies, amplifies and distorts them in a truly terrifying way to imagine a world of post-religious authoritarianism.
.png "Sub continent writers, Bina Shah, IndoPak books") |
| Before she sleeps by Bina Shah |
3. The bhabhis of Lahore and other forbidden tales of the city
I love her writings. I have always been interested in paranormal and occult arts so whenever her book is published, I make a quick trip to Liberty books to get my hands on it. I adore her narration and the small horror stories.
.png "Bhabis of Lahore, Jinn stories") |
| The bhabis of Lahore and other forbidden tales of the city |
4. The quintessential fat girl
A quick-witted satire for anyone who has struggled with weight-loss issues only to realize that the journey is filled with many failed diets and cravings. Zoie has tried all possible diets, she is now turning 40 and the body she dreamt off is not happening. With an important wedding coming up in the family she has a few months at hand to get in perfect shape. Amid a frenzy of weight control fads and diets; Zoie struggles every day to hit the gym and try out quick weight loss regimes as she jumps from one diet bandwagon to another. Surprisingly, all her efforts go unnoticed by the people around her. In her journey to attain the perfect body, she realizes that there are many issues pertaining to body shaming, stereotyping and social pressures faced by women - not only in her part of the world but globally as well. Her own weight battle makes Zoie empathize with many around her who are silent sufferers and need a little nudge of support.
After much effort Zoie finally finds the perfect regime; little did she know that it was never about the food she ate?
.png "Hina Shamsi") |
| The quintessential fat girl |
5. The strange death of Fiona Griffiths
It started out as nothing much. A minor payroll fraud at a furniture store in South Wales. No homicide involved, no corpses. Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths fights to get free of the case, but loses. She's tasked with the investigation. She begins her enquiries, only to discover the corpse of a woman who's starved to death. Looks further, and soon realizes that within the first, smaller crime, a vaster one looms: the most audacious theft in history. Fiona’s bosses need a copper willing to go undercover, and they ask Fiona to play the role of a timid payroll clerk so that she can penetrate the criminal gang from within. Fiona will be alone, she’ll be lethally vulnerable – and her fragile grip on ‘Planet Normal’ will be tested as never before ...
.png "Harry Bingham, Fiona Griffiths") |
| The strange death of Fiona Griffiths |
6. Possessive Much?
A Wattpad read to kill time. It was a cute read but suitable for young adults. Not my cup of tea anymore.
7. The Bad Guy
My name is Sebastian Lindstrom, and I’m the villain of this story. I’ve decided to lay myself bare. To tell the truth for once in my hollow life, no matter how dark it gets. And I can assure you, it will get so dark that you’ll find yourself feeling around the blackened corners of my mind, seeking a door handle that isn’t there. Don’t mistake this for a confession. I neither seek forgiveness nor would I accept it. My sins are my own. They keep me company. Instead, this is the true tale of how I found her, how I stole her, and how I lost her.
She was a damsel, one who already had her white knight. But every fairy tale has a villain, someone waiting in the wings to rip it all down. A scoundrel who will set the world on fire if that means he gets what he wants. That’s me. I’m the bad guy.
The above two books, I read online. I enjoyed reading the Fiona Griffiths series the most. I was highly impressed by Before she sleeps. Its set in the future and written by a Pakistani author. The narration was excellent. Bhabhi's of Lahore holds a special place as a topper in the genre. That is it for my reading list. Share your feedback if you have read any of these books. What is your opinion of them? Stay healthy and beautiful. xoxo!!!
