Neem Fresh: Garnier Pure Active Neem Face Wash Review

As a pubescent adolescent I never had to worry about acne. But as a young adult I've been plagued with pimples for as long as I can remember. Zits seems to pop up on the days you need your skin to be flawless, which is well, everyday!

Dadi Ma Ke Nuske: Neem has been used in the past in indian households in face masks to treat any and all calamities of the skin, from slight redness to full blown acne. Neem oil is known to calm the skin without any harmful side effects so its only befitting that we use neem in all its glory.
There's just one problem: the bitter taste. Any mask that sits on your face for more than 10 mins will leave your senses overpowered and I, especially, cannot bear the smell of neem, just the odour of it gives a bitter taste in my mouth. :\
What to do then? Lo and behold, the garnier pure active neem face wash. I've been wanting to invest in a neem face wash for ages but hadn't found one to my liking. I had used the Garnier pure active blackheads uprooting scrub in the past and emboldened by its success rate I decided to give this face wash a try. Read on for my review. :)

Get to know more about their product here: bit.ly/GarnierPureActiveNeemWebsite

Company Speak: The Garnier Pure Active range is designed to erase spots and marks with visible results in 48 hours.

Here's what they had to say about the pure active neem face wash line:

Fights germs, pollution and removes oil.

It contains real Neem Leaf and Tea Tree Oil extracts:

1) Fights germs: Washes away problem causing germs.

2) Fights Pollution: deep cleans pores to remove          impurities caused by pollution.

3) Removes Oil: Washes away excess oil which attracts  dirt & germs.

Review: the list of natural ingredients like neem oil and tea-tree oil are enough to make me go gaga over this product but the main draw for me was the fact that this product was mom-approved! And my mother, for your information, seldom approves anything that's not from her kitchen's pantry! :P

She has oily skin and had benefitted from this face wash and recommended it to me for my pimples and the marks left behind by the nasty little demons. I have sensitive combination skin (the worst kind, I know! *sigh*) and the green, slightly runny gel-like consistency suited me well. It gives a cool sensation upon application and refreshes & wakes you up. It has a mild, pleasant smell, not the harsh neem-y one, so no complaints there! The only gripe, if at all, I have with this product is the packaging. While it is perfectly classy and simple with a flip-top cap, you need serious muscle power to get the product out. One of the best things about this face wash is that it's soap free but still manages to lathers well. Soap has a drying effect on the skin so kudos to Garnier for their formulation!

Pros of Garnier Pure Active Real Neem Face Wash:

• Inexpensive.
• Travel friendly packaging.
• Easily available.
• Lathers pretty well.
• Rinses off easily.
• Removes oil, dirt and grime effectively.
• Leaves skin squeaky clean and fresh.
• Helps in reducing pimples though works slowly in reducing them.
• Great for people with oily and acne prone skin.
• Has herbal neem smell.
• Contains neem and tea tree extracts.

Cons of Garnier Pure Active Real Neem Face Wash:

• Dries out my skin (i have combination dry skin) but nothing much that a moisturizer can’t take care of!
• May not work on sever acne or old pimples.
• May not be able to remove makeup effectively.

Results: After 2 weeks of application I did notice that my skin was calmer and smoother, and the marks left by the pesky pimples were gone without a trace.The pure active neem face wash was a god-send for me and I intend to keep using it!

Now I'm psyched to try their extensive range of products in the pure active range. What about you?

Final Verdict: A great product for an everyday flawless skin!

Till next time,
Stay Natural, Stay Beautiful!

Check out the Garnier contest at bit.ly/GPABlogLinkIndiBloggerActivity 

Grill Fest : Veggie Edition!

First of all, here's wishing all the readers and bloggers a very happy and prosperous new year. May you never have to experience writer's block in 2015! :)

Holiday season has come and gone. Tarts and turkeys have finally taken their toll. Now it's time to jump back on to the health cart - all relaxed and rejuvenated.
Along with our workouts we need to eat healthy to see the desired effect for our body and what can be better than vegetables?! Packing all the punch and crunch, satiating the tummy without the bulge or guilt!
Let's beckon the new year with a new variety of side dishes other than the trusty salads and quinoa. You've already guessed it by the post title. Because what's better than plain veggies? Thats's right folks, grilled veggies!

Here are my top 12 vegetables that taste out-of-this-world when grilled. Have it as a snack with greek yoghurt dips or serve as sides, either way grilled vegetables are here to make your life easier.
So get that griller out n char away! :D

1.  Grilled Asparagus with a bit of olive oil and vinegar tastes divine with anything or on its own!
2. Mushrooms, especially portobello mushrooms, sliced n marinated with lemon n olive oil and a dash of salt will satiate your meat cravings. They work in burgers as well due to their meaty texture.
3. Sweet grilled Onions are some of the best things you'll eat in your life. The hint of smokiness of grilled onions elevates any meal. Make sure to smoke them in the open though, not wrapped in foil.
4. Potato wedges (or sweet potato) tastes best when grilled and drizzled with a little butter. Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes, then cut them into wedges and grill for 2 minutes.
5. Grilled Zucchini with olive oil on an antipasto platter. Enough said.
6. Tomatoes when grilled taste sweeter, add a little tang n' taste with balsamic vinegar or use sour cherry tomatoes and olive oil. It will be succulent, I guarantee!
7. Cut into chunks and put Capsicum or red, green and yellow bell peppers on a sheekh and grill them. They taste sweet and juicy and provide you with the classic grilled and colourful side dish you'll ever need.
8. Eggplant or aubergine, whichever you decide to call it, grilling doesn't get easier than this. Cut into strips, drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper and grill away.
9. Roasted Carrot fans, you need to try grilled carrots rubbed with 5 spices and salt. Slightly grill the marinated carrots and you're good to go!
10. I don't know why more people don't grill Broccoli. It tastes scrumptious. If you have leftover tastemakers from the instant noodle packs, try adding a few pinches of that to your grilled broccoli or simply dip them in greek yoghurt or cheese dips.
11. Corn on the cob. With a bit of salt and a rind of lemon. Need I say more?!
12. Beans can be grilled just like asparagus and eaten with dips as a standalone meal!

So what are you waiting for? Whip up your favourite antipasto platter and fill it with veggies and olives instead of meat. 

Remember to be generous with the olive oil, Enjoy!

(photo courtesy of afarmgirlsdabbles.com, for her 

Miso-Butter Grilled Veggies with Basil-Mint Pesto recipe click on the link!)